No Ordinary Exchange
by 1-800fangirl
Summary: Rayla Moonshadow is the first Xadian exchange student at Katolis State University in over a century. Will she make it through the year, or will the hateful whispers become too much for her to handle? And why does that blonde kid want her on the football team so badly? At least Callum seems to have her back. (Rayllum College!AU. A self-indulgent fic.)
1. making introductions

**I ****_know_**** I need to update my other fics. And I will! Just not right now. I need to get my TDP feelings out. Thus, this completely self-indulgent rayllum college!au was created. I am having so much fun writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it at least that much, too. :)**

xXxXxXx

"Katolis State University is proud to introduce its first Xadian exchange student in over one hundred years - everyone, please give a warm welcome to Rayla Moonshadow!"

Callum found himself cringing at the contrast between his stepfather's genuine excitement and the student body's... lackluster response.

"I feel bad for her," Claudia murmured, resting her chin on her hand. "I understand why your dad is so happy, especially since he pushed so hard with the state to allow her to be here, but so many Katolians still don't like Xadians. I mean, look at the poor girl's face!"

Claudia had a point - the Xadian student did look extremely uncomfortable. Though Callum could clearly see that she was tall, she was standing in a manner that made her appear much smaller. Her white hair hung down to hide part of her face, the lavender streaks dancing through it almost washed away by the stage's bright lights.

"Rayla will study here for the remainder of her sophomore year. If all goes well, one of you will attend the Xadian Academy next year," Harrow continued. "But that is not something any of you need to worry yourselves over at the moment. I expect you all to make Rayla feel welcome here."

"Maybe we should go talk to her afterwards," Callum blurted out as his father continued to speak. He flushed when he realized what he'd suggested - apparently the words had left his mouth before they'd finished being processed in his brain.

Soren raised an eyebrow. "Where did that sudden eagerness come from?"

Callum shrugged, aware of how red his face had to be but ignoring it. "Like Claudia said. I feel kinda bad for her."

Claudia popped her gum, shrugging. "I'm down. Since she's a sophomore, I might even have a few classes with her. Based on the anti-Xadian attitudes of... of more than a few kids at this school, I have a feeling she'll accept any company she can get. Even if it is from weirdos like us."

Soren laughed as he jokingly elbowed his sister in the stomach. "Don't lump me in with the two of you." He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. "Ugh. I have a class after this, so I can't join you. But..." He put his phone away. "If you happen to hit it off, we can all go out one night and I can properly meet her."

"Roger that," Claudia said with a mock-salute, earning another elbow from Soren and laughter from Callum.

"Rayla, is there anything you want to say to your new classmates?" Harrow's voice brought the attention of the three back to the stage.

The girl attempted to smile, though it was clearly more of a grimace. "Ah... I'm thankful for this opportunity." Her accent was thick, but not enough for her to be misunderstood.

Harrow nodded, returning the mic to beneath his face. "And we are all grateful that you decided to take advantage of it."

As his dad continued to drone on about the significance of the girl's attendance at the school, Callum found his attention drifting down to his sketchbook. He was in the middle of working on a picture of his brother, Ezran, and Ezran's leopard gecko, Bait. The jagged line that trailed to the edge of the page indicated the point at which he'd gotten distracted. He sighed and carefully erased it, doing his best to avoid smudging the graphite. He wanted to give the picture to Ezran for his fourteenth birthday, which wasn't for another two and a half months, but his inspiration tended to wax and wane thus he decided to begin working on it early. He became so focused on his sketch that he didn't notice the assembly had begun to disperse until Claudia snapped her fingers in front of his nose, startling him and causing him to drop his pencil and very nearly drop his sketchbook.

"Someone's on edge," Claudia said wryly as she returned his pencil to him. "Come on! My dad and yours are talking to the girl right now, but we have to hurry if we want to catch her before any classes she might have."

Callum nodded, closing his sketchbook and shoving it into his satchel before following his friend out of the seats in the audience and down towards the stage.

"Again, I do apologize for the late notice," Viren was saying. His voice oozed with a false pleasantry that sent chills down Callum's spine. "But none of our available students were willing to room with a Xa..." He trailed off as Harrow sent him a warning glare. "No one wanted to room with someone they didn't know."

"I'll room with her!" Claudia offered as she arrived at the foot of the stage, earning surprised looks from all. "You know that there's more than enough room in my dorm, Dad."

Viren offered his daughter a pained smile. "Are you certain about this, Claudia?"

She nodded, rolling her eyes. "Obviously, Dad, or else I wouldn't have offered."

The Xadian girl shook her head. "You don't need to do that. Really. I have no problem with finding an apartment off campus if it's more convenient -"

"Don't be ridiculous," Claudia interrupted with a dismissive wave of her hand. "The best way to find your niche at KSU is live smack in the middle of it. As the daughter of the dean" - she gestured to Viren - "I was blessed with a larger dorm, plus the luxury of no roommate." She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I have space, you need a room - problem solved." She offered her hand and a smile to the girl, though her being on the floor and the girl on the stage meant the girl knelt down to shake her hand. "I'm Claudia."

"Rayla. Though I'm sure you know that already."

"So it's settled!" Harrow said, clapping his hands together. "Rayla and Claudia will room together. I'll see what I can do about arranging it so the two of you also have at least one class together."

"Harrow? Viren?"

Attention in the room shifted to a blonde woman standing at the auditorium's door.

"Oh, crap," Harrow muttered, glancing at his watch. "Are we late, Opeli?"

"Not yet," was the woman's brisk response. "But I wouldn't push your luck."

Viren headed to the exit immediately, pushing past Opeli and not bothering to say any goodbyes.

Harrow returned his attention back to the trio. "Claudia, thank you again. Rayla, if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to come to me. Callum -" He stopped. "Callum, have you been here the whole time?" At his stepson's embarrassed nod, he sighed. "Right. Glad to know I'm a terrible father."

"It was actually Callum who wanted to come talk to Rayla," Claudia said, slinging her arm around Callum's shoulders and causing him to stumble sideways. "But he's a little shy, so he kind of became my silent cheerleader."

Callum groaned at the description. "Thanks, Claudia."

"Harrow, you need to leave now," Opeli called from the doorway. "The council is pissed off enough already. Let's not add to their list."

Harrow sighed and said goodbye, pulling Callum into a hug before taking his leave.

Callum ended up being the one to break the silence - which, in all honesty, was not something he often did. "Hi," he stammered, offering the new girl his hand to shake. "I'm Callum. Obviously you've already met my dad."

"Rayla. And Harrow's your dad?" She raised an eyebrow as she released his hand. "Forgive me if this is rude, but you don't look much like him."

Callum laughed as he pulled his hand away. "Stepdad, technically."

"Ah. Makes more sense."

"I don't know about you guys," Claudia began, "but I don't have class for another hour and I'm feeling kinda peckish. Want to hit up that new café?"

Callum shrugged. "Sounds good to me." He turned to Rayla, giving her a small smile. "Care to join us?"

Rayla hesitated, uncertainty flickering in her violet eyes. "Are you sure you want to be seen hanging around me? I know that I'm not exactly welcome here."

"Trust me, most people really couldn't care less," Claudia reassured her. "And if anyone _does_ say anything about it, I'll just get them expelled."

Rayla blinked. "You can do that?"

Claudia shrugged. "Let's hope we don't have to find out."

Rayla burst out laughing at her comment, and Callum found himself joining in. Her laughter was contagious, and the way her accent seemed to leak through was... endearing. "Well, as long as you're sure you don't mind."

"Of course we don't!" Claudia exclaimed. "Believe me, we wouldn't have offered if we did."

"That's very true," Callum added as they began walking out of the auditorium. "Claudia is very selective about her company."

"Callum, you make me sound like a prick!" Claudia protested. "I just have _standards_. That's all."

Callum continued to banter with his friend as they made their way to the café, and while Rayla didn't join in, he was pleased to see that the smile on her face didn't fade.

xXxXxXx

Over the course of half an hour, Callum learned that Rayla was studying literature and sociology, with a few women's and gender studies' courses thrown in here and there. She was from Silvergrove in Xadia, and no, not everyone's accent was the same as hers. Or as thick as hers. Her parents had been security guards for a Xadian diplomat, and as a result hadn't been around much, even before the plane crash that had taken their lives a few years ago. She lived with family friends, Runaan and Ethari, and she had no siblings, for which she was eternally grateful. She'd studied martial arts for as long as she could walk. A few years ago she'd started to learn how to incorporate blades into her fighting.

Claudia was impressed by this fact, and asked if Rayla would be willing to provide a demonstration for her at some point, to which the Xadian girl eagerly agreed.

Callum felt no need to ask for a demonstration; Rayla was currently wearing just a normal t-shirt, and based on the way her muscles flexed every time she moved her arm it was clear to him that she was telling the truth about her physical prowess.

"Aw, man," Claudia complained as she checked the time on her phone. "I have bio in fifteen minutes. Guess that means I have to say my farewells." She stood up, giving the two a mock bow. "A delightful conversation we shared, truly. See you at the dorm, Rayla!" With a wink and the swish of her black coat, she was gone.

An awkward silence fell. Callum wasn't sure how to break it - until then, Claudia had been the one primarily pushing the conversation forward.

"I take it you don't have a class to get to, then?" Rayla asked before taking a sip of her coffee.

Callum shook his head. "Nope. I don't have physics until one." And it was currently only twenty minutes before noon.

"Hm." Rayla pulled a sheet of paper out of her backpack, which was hanging from her chair. "I have Shakespearean Literature at 12:45." She glanced at him, an embarrassed expression falling upon her features. "I don't suppose you could show me where Seton Hall is?"

Callum laughed. "I don't mind showing you, no. Although I have to admit I only know where that's located because of Claudia."

Rayla gave him a knowing grin. "Ah. I see. So how long have you two been together?"

Callum stiffened as his face turned bright red. "I - she - we're not together!" he stammered as he dropped and barely caught his pen, his voice an octave higher than he would have liked. "We've just known each other for a long time! Besides, Claudia is a sophomore and I'm just a freshman, which means she's - she's way out of my league." He placed his pen down as the red slowly began to fade from his face. "Why do you - why do you ask? Did you... notice something?"

Rayla, though seemingly startled by his outburst, chuckled. "So it's one-sided affection. Gotcha." She lightly flicked his nose, which was an action Callum would have been embarrassed to receive from anyone else but for some reason didn't mind when Rayla did it. "Don't fret. One year isn't a huge gap, you know. And I asked because I noticed you sketching her the entire time."

Callum flushed and pulled his sketchbook closer to him, though he didn't bother to hide the picture of Claudia. "There's actually two years difference between us," he admitted. "Both she and her brother missed a year of school when her parents got divorced."

Rayla winced, nodding. "That sucks."

Callum snorted at her blunt response. "Well, that's one way to put it."

"Precisely." Rayla took a final sip of her coffee. "I don't think you should give up hope, sad prince. You're pretty cute. If you ever work up the courage to ask her, she'll probably say yes."

Callum raised an eyebrow at her comment, a near-pitiful attempt to regain his composure and pretend he wasn't still blushing. "'Prince'? What's that about?"

Rayla shrugged. "Your dad is the head of the college. He's kind of like a king. As such, _you_ are kinda like a prince."

Callum paused, then grinned. "All right. I can live with that."

Their conversation shifted back to school, and Callum explained how he was majoring in physics and minoring in art, and that his favorite elective was Renaissance History. Rayla asked him about sports, and while she was disappointed to learn that there was no martial arts team, the idea of wrestling appeared to intrigue her.

"Do you know if they allow girls?" she said.

Callum shrugged. "No idea. Remember - I haven't been here for a full semester yet. Plus..." He gestured to himself. "I don't exactly scream 'wrestler', do I?"

Rayla snickered. "Well, you've got that right."

Callum gasped in mock-offense at her comment. "How stereotyping of you."

"You said it first!"

Before Callum knew it, it was already 12:30. Rayla was easy to talk to, even if she did bruise his ego, and so far time was flying by when he was around her. She was funny, quick-witted, and charming - at least in his opinion.

It saddened him to think that some people would never approach her simply because she was Xadian. While tensions had certainly lessened between Katolis and Xadia, the situation was nowhere near perfect, and he was keenly aware of the shocked and even disgusted looks that had been sent their way just from being in the café together.

"Are you okay with showing me where my class is now?" Rayla asked as she threw away her cup and the wrapper that had held her pastry. "I want to get there a little early, if I can."

"Sure," Callum replied, following her lead and disposing of his trash. He tucked his sketchbook and his pen into his satchel, but before he could get to the door, Rayla stepped forward to hold it open for him.

"Princes first," she said with a smirk, snickering as he rolled his eyes.

"Seton Hall actually isn't far from here," Callum said as they headed further into campus. "It's the same building the auditorium and most acting classes are in."

Rayla frowned upon pulling her schedule out of her back pocket and examining it, straightening out a bend in the top right corner of the page. "Why aren't my other literature classes in this building?"

"I always thought they put Shakespeare in the building with theatre classes because of the overlap between the courses," Callum offered. "Maybe you get to see them perform some of the plays."

Rayla shrugged, shoving her schedule back into her pocket. "I guess I'll find out."

They arrived at her classroom a few minutes later, with just under 10 minutes left before her class started.

"I suppose this is where we part ways," Rayla said, shouldering her booksack and giving him a soft smile. "It was nice meeting you, Callum. I hope we find time to hang out again."

Callum chuckled. "With Claudia as your roommate, I'm sure plenty of opportunities will arise." He hesitated, then added, "I could give you a tour of campus. Someday. If you're interested."

Rayla's smile widened. "I'd like that a lot." She reached into her pocket, pulling out her receipt from the café before ripping it in half. "Can I use your pen?"

Callum fished his pen out of his satchel and handed it to her, their fingertips brushing as he did so. She proceeded to scribble something on one half of the receipt before handing it all back to him.

It was a phone number, he realized.

"The school provided me with a temporary phone and number to avoid international texting charges," she explained, shoving her hands into her pockets. "Rather kind of them, now that I think about it." When Callum didn't respond, instead simply staring down at the slips of paper and the pen in his hands, she rolled her eyes and sighed in mock-exasperation. "Callum, the polite thing to do when someone gives you their number is to give them your own."

Callum felt the blood rush to his face. "Right," he stammered, tucking her number away in his pocket and writing his own onto the other half of the receipt before handing it to her.

Rayla winked at him as she accepted the paper. "See you later, Callum!" she said before disappearing into her classroom.

Callum remained there, frozen, for a few seconds more, his pen still clutched to his chest. Rayla was... an interesting person, to say the least. She seemed smart - certainly more clever than him.

Then Callum remembered that he, too, had a class starting soon. But his phone buzzed only a few minutes after he'd headed out of the building.

_(330) 229-6868: I'm sure you've realized by now that typically only one person receives a phone number in an exchange between acquaintances_

Callum, in fact, had not thought that deeply about it, but he wasn't going to tell Rayla that. He added her as a contact before responding.

_Callum: Yeah, I was wondering, lol_

_Rayla: I assure you that there is a method to my madness_

_Callum: Riiiight_

_Rayla: Look. I knew you wouldn't have the guts to ask for my number_

_Rayla: Don't deny it_

Callum guiltily erased the beginning of _That's not true_.

_Callum: Maybe_

_Rayla: And I also knew that even if I gave you my number, you wouldn't dare to text me first_

_Rayla: Now we both win!_

Callum couldn't stop himself from grinning at his phone at her response. So not only was she smart and funny, but she was also far more lighthearted than he'd originally given her credit for.

_Callum: Seems so_

_Rayla: oh my god you sound like a pretentious douche over text_

_Rayla: Class is starting soon_

_Rayla: Give my number to Claudia pls_

_Callum: Ofc_

She didn't respond, so he assumed her class must have started. He tucked his phone into his satchel and continued his walk to physics, stepping up his pace to ensure he'd get there on time. And while he walked, he couldn't keep the happy smile off his lips at the thought of his new friend.

Strange.

But he liked it.

xXxXxXx

**I wrote this from Callum's POV because my crush on Rayla is much easier to articulate than my crush on Callum, haha. I hope you enjoyed! (Updates will be loosely consistent for a while. School is starting again soon so I cannot provide an exact schedule.)**


	2. renaissance, but birth of something new

**A shorter chapter today; my apologies for that. It's been my first week back at school this semester and it's already hectic. Ugh. But I hope you enjoy! Think of it as a little buildup for next week's more eventful chapter. ;)**

xXxXxXx

Callum hadn't seen any of his friends in two days. Rayla he hadn't seen since he'd dropped her off at her Shakespearean Literature class, and Claudia and Soren he hadn't seen since the café and the assembly before that. He hadn't spoken to Rayla after that evening, either, when she'd texted him 'thank you' for giving her number to Claudia.

The reason he felt more hung up on Rayla's absence, he figured, was because there simply weren't many people he typically talked to in the first place. Soren was too far ahead of him in school for their paths to cross often, and while he did hang out with Claudia a lot, they didn't actually have any classes that overlapped.

The only class he knew of Rayla's was of course Shakespearean Lit, though he was well aware his odds of having any classes with her were slim. It was too bad. She seemed like she'd be fun to share a class with.

Huh. Callum really needed to branch out more amongst his fellow freshmen.

Then again, it wasn't _his_ fault that people were too afraid to approach him because his stepdad was head of the university. Or maybe they were predisposed to _dislike _him because his stepdad was head of the university. Whatever. Regardless, his asocial behavior was a result of a mix of factors.

Maybe he should talk to Harrow about -

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. He normally kept it on vibrate, so it startled him, but he recognized that ringtone.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Er, call.

Callum grabbed his phone off the dresser and answered it. "Hey, Dad. What's up?"

"Hey, kiddo," Harrow said, static faintly crackling in the background of the call. "I know this is last minute, and I'm sorry for that, but can you look after Ezran tonight? Amaya had to cancel because a conference was rescheduled that she can't miss."

Callum was keenly aware of the fact that Harrow knew he didn't have plans, thus he didn't understand his stepfather's apologetic manner about the subject. "Yeah, sure," he replied. "What time do you want me to be there?"

"Just from 5 to 8. I should be back by then."

Callum scribbled the time in the margin of his planner before tossing it onto his bed. "You know, I really do think you can leave Ezran on his own now. He's almost fourteen."

Harrow sighed, and Callum could practically visualize him shrugging. "Yeah, I know. But I think it's good that you spend some time with Ezran while you're still living in the state. Before you leave for your master's."

Callum snorted. "I just started towards my bachelor's degree, Dad. I don't think you need to worry. Besides - you know Ez and I are inseparable in every sense but literal."

"How could I forget?" There was the sound of someone talking in the background of the call, and Harrow clicked his tongue. "I've got to hang up now. See you tonight, Callum, and thank you again."

"No problem," was all Callum managed to get out before his stepdad hung up. He sighed, turning his phone on vibrate before placing it back on his dresser. He was sorely tempted to collapse into his bed, despite it being afternoon. Wednesday was the one day of the week where all he had was one class. That in itself was somewhat a blessing - what was unfortunate was the fact that his class was in the afternoon. Ugh. He hated afternoon classes. But being a freshman meant he hadn't had much control over his schedule, even considering that he was Harrow's son.

He glanced at the clock on his wall. He could probably squeeze in a ten-minute power nap before he left -

His train of thought was then interrupted by a loud buzz of his phone. It was unexpected, but not unpleasant, to be contacted by two people within a span of five minutes.

_Claudia: all you have is Ren today right?_

_Callum: Yes; why?_

_Claudia: jfc only you would send a text with a semicolon_

_Claudia: i can't believe we're friends_

_Claudia: ANYWAYS_

_Claudia: i want to have a game night at my dorm_

_Claudia: maybe around 6_

_Callum: Tonight?_

_Claudia: yes_

_Claudia: so Soren can meet Rayla! you in?_

_Callum: I don't think so :( I have to watch Ez_

Missing a chance to hang out with all of his friends sucked, especially since it meant he'd also be missing a chance to better get to know Rayla. She'd been right when she'd said he wouldn't have the guts to text her - although, to be fair, he didn't have the guts to text anyone, really. But he'd already committed to watching his brother.

_Claudia: just bring him! you know your dad won't care_

_Claudia: we just won't play Cards Against Humanity with him there haha_

Claudia had a point, as she often did. Harrow trusted Viren and therefore by default trusted Soren and Claudia.

Mostly.

_Callum: Sounds like a plan :)_

_Claudia: sweet! see you tonight_

She followed her final text with a dozen emojis, which brought a smile to his face and made his heart flutter. How embarrassing. Callum then toyed with the idea of texting Rayla and Soren about his and Ezran's presence at the mini-gathering of sorts, but decided against it. He didn't want to bother them, and for all he knew, they could both be in class right now.

Speaking of class... He was going to be late if he didn't leave soon. Talking with Claudia had taken up the time he could have used for napping - tragic.

Without another thought towards his plans for the evening, Callum grabbed his satchel and headed out the door.

At least he was going to Renaissance History.

xXxXxXx

Callum fired off a quick text to Ezran about Claudia's game night in the spare minute he had before his class began. It looked like his professor was going to be late, anyways. Professor Dupuy had a tendency to stop at Starbucks before their lectures.

Just as he was about to put his phone away, it buzzed. Only it wasn't an answer from Ezran, which was what he'd expected.

_Rayla: Look behind you_

Callum wasn't sure whether to be intrigued or terrified by the message. He turned around, and sure enough a certain white-haired girl was sitting a few rows back, giving him a satisfied smirk. He offered her a small wave before sending her a quick text in return.

_Callum: You can sit next to me, you know_

_Rayla: You sure?_

_Rayla: Isn't it social suicide to sit next to the weird Xadian_

_Callum: I committed social suicide the moment my dad became head of the college_

_Callum: Seriously_

_Callum: Come sit_

He heard rustling and the shuffling of feet behind him, and sure enough Rayla slid into the desk on his left a few seconds later. Now that she was next to him, he could see that she was wearing a purple scarf around her head to keep her hair back. "I didn't know you were in this class," he whispered with mock accusation, unable to keep a grin off his face. "You didn't mention it when we were talking on Monday."

"Well, in my defense, I wasn't in this class at that time," Rayla replied with a shrug as she straightened her binder on her desk. "I met with Professor Harrow, er, your dad, later that day, and he helped me to reorganize my schedule so that I had a couple classes with Claudia. Calculus and one of my English classes, if you were wondering which."

He chuckled. "Right. Nice."

"Anyways, I had to drop a women's and gender studies' course I was taking. Professor Harrow told me I could switch into basically any other elective I wanted, and I remembered how much you were gushing over this class, so..." She shrugged again. "Here I am!" She then gave him a suspicious glance. "Although, I didn't expect you to be in this _specific _class. How did a freshman get into a second level course?"

Callum smirked. "AP European History credit, thank you very much. Scored a 5 and got out of two semesters of history."

Rayla rolled her eyes. "Right. How could I forget that you're a nerd?"

"If you get to call me a nerd, then I can call you a jock."

Rayla laughed. "Okay - fair enough. Seems like a reasonable compromise." She lifted her arms above her head and stretched, her nose crinkling as her back cracked. "I hope you're willing to help me power through this course, prince. I only switched in because you recommended it."

Callum's heart fluttered an extra beat at her words, flattered by the idea that she'd taken the class solely based on his opinion of it. "So should I charge you for tutoring sessions?"

Rayla snorted, lightly nudging his shoulder. "As if. I'm an exchange student - I don't have money to throw around like that. Besides, surely my company is more than enough reward for you."

"Then I guess it'll be a favor," Callum said, pulling his notes out of his binder. "But only since you're my friend."

Rayla's cheeks dusted with a pale pink for a brief second at his words. Then she said dryly, "How kind of you."

Callum knew his own face had also reddened, but he was saved from having to provide an answer when their professor walked into the room.

At the very least, it was nice to finally share class with a friend.

xXxXxXx

**I promise this isn't a texting fic, y'all. Hopefully this chapter was as fun to read as the first one was! See you next week if all goes well.**


	3. game night

**Bad news: my updating schedule for this fic will likely be changing to once every two weeks, possibly once every three. I hate that I can't upload every week like I want, but I have so much going on right now that I don't think it's possible. My main goal is give you guys quality chapters, and in order to do that they're going to have to be more spaced out. I'm really sorry but I hope you'll still continue to read and (hopefully) enjoy this story!**

xXxXxXx

"Ezran, are you ready to go?" Callum called, adjusting his scarf around his neck so it wasn't caught beneath the strap of his satchel. "Soren's only a few minutes away." He'd cleared it with Harrow that they could go to Claudia's dorm, and it was sheer luck that Soren would be passing by their house on his way back into campus. Yes, Callum _could_ drive, but it was better for the environment if they carpooled.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Ezran grumbled as he shuffled into the hall. "But are you _sure_ I can't bring Bait with me? He's going to be so lonely when I'm not here!"

Callum sighed. "I'm sorry, Ez. I know it sucks, but there are no animals allowed in dorms, even if only for a temporary period. If you give Bait a treat I'm sure he'll be fine." His phone buzzed. It was Soren, letting him know that he was waiting outside. "C'mon. Soren's here."

He watched as Ezran quickly ran over to Bait's cage and dropped a piece of a jelly tart inside before darting out the door, which Callum made sure to lock behind them as they left. "Dad will pick us up from Claudia's whenever his meeting is done, which should be around 8ish." He opened the back door of Soren's car for his brother before walking around to climb into the passenger seat.

"What's up, pipsqueaks?" Soren asked as he pulled out of their driveway and into the road, not waiting for an answer from the two before he continued speaking. "Please tell me you know something about Claudia's plans for tonight, because I was told nothing except when to show up."

Callum laughed as he finished buckling in. "That sounds like Claudia. But we're just going to play board games, I think. And you'll get to meet Rayla, if you haven't already."

Soren grinned. "Oh, nice. Nah, I haven't met her yet." He glanced at Callum as he stopped at a red light. "What's she like?"

Callum snorted. "Oh, you'll get along well. She's into sports."

Soren rolled his eyes. "Only someone not into sports would think that two people will get along just because they both play sports."

"No, trust me on this one. She's basically a tri-athlete, like you."

"Uh huh. We'll see."

The rest of the ride was spent discussing school. Soren talked about it being his last year with equal excitement, dread, and relief. He threw in some advice here and there about which teachers to take and which to avoid during senior year.

"Marcos is pretty cool," he explained. "Opeli is tough but really understanding if you actually talk to her. Though you might know that already, since she seems to be Harrow's right-hand advisor. With the exception of my dad, of course."

Callum, in fact, had not known that about Opeli. He really hadn't spoken to her much, even though she was around Harrow pretty often.

They were only a few minutes away from Claudia's dorm when Soren asked Callum the last question he was interested in answering.

"So..." he drawled, throwing him a sideways smirk. "When are you planning to ask out my little sister?"

Callum froze in a manner akin to a deer caught in a pair of headlights. "Wh-What?!" he sputtered. "I don't - what are you talking about?"

"He's never gonna do it," Ezran piped up from the backseat. "He's too much of a coward when it comes to girls."

"I am not!" Callum protested, very aware of how red his face had to be. "I just -"

"Don't want to be rejected?" Ezran offered. "Callum, you need to woman up and ask her!"

Callum turned around to glare at his brother. It always irked him how perceptive he could be.

"You know she'll never say yes if you don't ask her at all," Soren pointed out as he turned into the parking lot of Claudia's dorm.

"I mean... do you think she _would_ say yes?" Callum asked, pretending that his face hadn't gone pink up to the tips of his ears.

Soren shrugged as he put his car into park before turning the key and pulling it out of the ignition. "No idea. I know she thinks you're pretty cute, but I don't know if that's in a 'crush' sorta way or an 'aw he's my little brother' thing."

Callum didn't respond, desperately wanting this particular conversation to end. Fortunately for him, Soren and Ezran seemed to take the hint, and they walked up the stairs to Claudia's dorm in silence.

The silence ended, of course, the moment they knocked on the door.

"You're here!" Claudia cheered as she pushed the door open and pulled them all into a group hug. "I was worried you'd be late because Soren is such a bad driver."

"I am not!" Soren protested as Claudia dragged them all into her dorm, shutting the door with her foot behind them. "My record is better than yours."

"Just because _I'm_ a bad driver doesn't negate the fact that you are _also _a bad driver! Right, Callum?"

Callum held up his hands. "I'm not getting involved in this one." He knew better than to join fights between Claudia and Soren, be they joking or not.

"Well, I'm sure you're both lousy drivers." A familiar Xadian voice floated into the hall. "Now can we play some Katolian games or what? I've been waiting all day."

Callum turned to see Rayla leaning against the doorframe of where the hall met the main room, her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk dancing on her lips. He knew she wasn't lying - she'd talked excitedly about their game night for almost ten minutes after their Renaissance History class had ended.

"Yes! Yes, of course," Claudia said with a pointed look at her brother before proceeding to push the three past Rayla and into the living room. "Let's start with -"

"Wait, wait," Rayla interrupted as she followed them, studying the group with her lips pursed. "Obviously I know Callum, and you must be Soren based on the pictures Claudia has shown me, but..." She pointed at Ezran. "I don't think I know who you are."

"Oh, this is my little brother, Ezran," Callum said, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "He's in 9th grade."

Rayla snapped her fingers. "Oh, of course! I should have realized. You're the spitting image of Professor Harrow." Her last words were directed at Ezran, who beamed at her. She offered him her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too!" Ezran replied, shaking her hand. "And yeah, people are always telling me how much I look like my dad."

As Rayla chatted with Ezran about Harrow, Callum noticed that she was wearing a loose-fitting but short purple tank top. Well, not so short it showed any skin -

Okay, unless she raised her arms.

Christ, her arms. Rayla was clearly an athlete. Not that he'd doubted her or anything, but in a sleeveless shirt it was clear how toned her muscles were. Callum had a gut feeling she could break any of them in half if she wanted to.

Hopefully she'd never want to.

"Callum? Hello?"

Claudia's hand being waved in front of his face snapped him out of his reverie.

"You good?" she asked. "You completely zoned out for a moment there."

Blood rushed to Callum's face, internally scolding himself for having stared at Rayla for so long. She was a human, not an object. He'd been raised better than that! "Sorry," he apologized, probably with more panic than was necessary. "I, uh, was just thinking about a physics quiz I have tomorrow. I'm kind of stressed about it."

Claudia groaned. "Ugh, Callum, we are not thinking about school right now! This is supposed to be a fun and relaxing evening."

Callum snorted. With Claudia's and Soren's overly-intense competitive streaks, 'relaxing' was probably not going to be an accurate term. "I doubt -"

"Enough blabbering!" Rayla interrupted. "Let's get started!"

After only a few minutes of playing UNO, Callum learned that Rayla, too, had an intense competitive streak, though hers was not as obvious as Claudia's was. He also learned that the more frustrated Rayla became, the thicker her accent got. It was more amusing than it had any right to be.

What was funniest, of course, was that Ezran was beating them all into the dirt. And no one could be mad because, well, he was Ezran. He was the human incarnate of a puppy. He won at UNO, Monopoly, and Go Fish.

Well, Callum had technically won a round of Go Fish, but the death glares he then received from Rayla, Claudia, and Soren made him realize that he'd much rather be content with second place than risk his life by winning first.

"Okay, I think it's time for a new game," Claudia said after Ezran won at Apples to Apples for the umpteenth time. "A new game with a new theme besides cards and boards." She stood up, brushing off her pants before moving towards a closet already cracked open, shifting herself onto her tiptoes to reach a white box on the highest shelf. She spun around after grabbing it, an excited grin dancing on her face. "Twister!"

"Oh, I love Twister!" Rayla said, clapping her hands together with a grin that matched Claudia's. "I've never lost a game."

"As interesting as it is to learn that Twister is also a thing in Xadia," Claudia began, "Soren has also never lost a game." She wiggled her eyebrows at the girl. "He may not look it, but he's pretty flexible."

Soren flexed his arm, smirking and overall looking quite pleased with himself. "I took ballet for eight years, and I've kept up the stretching regimen ever since."

Rayla snorted, clearly skeptical of his claim. "Right. Well, we'll see how you fare."

Callum knew even before they began the game how _he_ was going to fare - poorly.

He was out after three rounds.

Ezran lasted for seven. He ended up tripping over Soren's leg and falling, which Claudia said was an honorable exit from the game, since Soren was as bulky as an elephant and was therefore hard to avoid. Soren, surprisingly enough, had taken little offense to that.

Claudia herself had chosen to be the spinner for the game - lucky her.

As the game progressed, Callum noted that neither Rayla nor Soren seemed willing to back down. He found himself absentmindedly sketching the variety of poses they wound up in, some of which were far more entertaining to witness than others. Rayla, he noticed, was easily the more flexible of the two, but Soren had the advantage of longer limbs when reaching the colored dots on the mat.

"Left hand, red," Claudia said after she flicked the spinner. She glanced up to check on their positions, then snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that."

Callum had to bite back a laugh as Rayla and Soren began the struggle to move their left hands to red. Rayla, after a grunt and curse muttered in a language Callum didn't recognize, twisted over and ended up in a backbend, a delighted smirk forming on her face as her left hand landed perfectly on red. Soren attempted to follow suit, but promptly crashed to the floor.

"Rayla is the winner!" Claudia shouted, jumping to her feet and tossing the spinner into the air. "Soren has been defeated!"

"Yes!" Rayla cheered, jumping to her feet and pumping her fist. "My streak continues!"

"I challenge you to a rematch!" Soren said with a good-natured grin as he stood up. "I refuse to accept this loss!"

Callum was fascinated by the excited twinkle in Rayla's eyes. This was the most relaxed he'd ever seen her since her arrival in Katolis.

"Deal," Rayla said, smirking as she shook his hand. "But no more Twister. I don't think that would be quite fair to you."

"Ha ha," Soren said, rolling his eyes but still grinning. "Then let's arm wrestle. Your strength against mine, since Callum tells me you're a serious athlete."

Callum blushed. He hadn't phrased it exactly like that. Thankfully, however, Rayla didn't seem to get caught up in Soren's words. Now, he didn't expect her to _hesitate _in accepting Soren's challenge, necessarily - but he also didn't expect her to agree as readily as she did.

"You're on."

In the blink of an eye, Claudia had Rayla and Soren set up at the table in her kitchen.

"Rightie or leftie?" Soren asked as he slid into a seat.

"Ambidextrous," Rayla retorted with what Callum felt was becoming her signature smirk as she sat across from him. "Your choice."

"Rightie it is." Soren placed his right elbow on the table, flexing his hand and cracking his neck. "I hope you're ready to lose."

Rayla snorted, placing her hand in his. Callum couldn't help but notice how slender her fingers were in comparison to Soren's, though he had certainly seen the callouses on her palm, an indicator of her true strength and athleticism. "You're pretty bad at trash-talking for someone Claudia claims has played football for years."

Callum slid into the seat next to the girl, smoothing out a crinkle in the corner of his sketchbook before beginning to add more detail to his drawing of Rayla and Soren playing Twister. Ezran took the seat across from him.

Claudia stood between Rayla and Soren at the end of the table. "Three... two... one... go!"

At first, the two were so evenly matched that Callum could hardly tell that they'd started. Neither shifted in either direction, and the only tells that they were actively pushing were Rayla's clenched jaw and the vein that was popping out ever so slightly above Soren's left eyebrow.

"I think I may have underestimated your strength," Soren muttered, "but I'm not gonna lose!"

"I'm used to being underestimated," was Rayla's terse reply. "Hasn't stopped me yet."

Gradually Soren seemed to take the lead, though Callum was silently cheering for Rayla. Rayla then pressed back for a moment, bringing their arms upwards, the concentration on her face focused enough to burn a hole in the table.

The key difference Callum had started to notice between Rayla and Soren was their expressions, as both were relatively silent throughout the contest. The two were clearly focused, but that focus was presenting itself in very different ways. Soren's entire face seemed tight, his arm quivering as he held Rayla's hand and nearly crushing it within his grip. Rayla, on the other hand, appeared far more relaxed, except for how hard she was biting down on her bottom lip. Besides that and her intense stare, nothing gave away the strain she was putting on herself.

"You are really damn strong," Soren muttered, his voice barely above a grunt. This fact amused Ezran, who was barely stifling his laughter.

"I know," was Rayla's brusque reply, which was the breaking point for Ezran, who burst into giggles and nearly fell out of his chair onto the floor.

After another fifteen or so seconds - fifteen seconds that must have felt like an eternity to the arm wrestlers - Rayla's hand began to fall back towards the table. As if sensing that she couldn't win, she sighed and allowed her hand to be pressed against the wood.

"And Soren is the victor!" Claudia shouted, crushing her brother into a hug. "Good job, Sor-bear!"

"But Rayla put up a valiant fight!" Callum added, doing his best to capture Claudia's 'sports announcer' persona, though he was pretty sure he fell short. "An entertaining match all around."

"Agreed," Claudia said, releasing Soren and giving Rayla a thumbs up. "It was my honor to referee this contest."

"Good game," Rayla said to Soren as she stretched her right arm and acknowledged Claudia's comment with a nod and a small smile. "I think you're as strong as Runaan, or at least close to it."

Soren frowned, tilting his head in confusion. "Rune-Ann? Who's that?"

Rayla hesitated, then seemed to relax. "Runaan. My uncle, sort of. He's also my martial arts instructor." She massaged her wrist. "I don't think I've ever beaten him in anything. Except chess, but that's only because he doesn't have the patience for it."

"Huh." Soren shrugged. Then he tapped his chin, as if in thought - something Callum hadn't thought he was capable of. "Have you considered joining the wrestling team? Even if only for this year? Because you've clearly got the strength and agility needed for it. And since I'm captain, I could probably pull a few strings."

Rayla's eyes widened, and she jumped to her feet, nearly knocking over her chair in the process. "Wait, _you're_ the wrestling captain?!"

Callum found himself tuning out her excited rambling about the team as well as her interrogation of Soren if he was sure that she, a girl, could be on it. It wasn't that he didn't care about Rayla's interests, and in reality he found her reaction pretty endearing, but he understood so little of the terminology she used that it hurt his brain to listen. Then again, if he was going to keep hanging out with her - which he did intend to - he should probably learn more about the sports she was interested in.

Oh, the things he did for friendship.

"Callum, Dad said he'll be here in about twenty minutes," Ezran said as he read a text from his phone, pulling Callum out of his thoughts. "He also said that twenty minutes tends to round up to half an hour because of traffic."

Claudia snapped her fingers, her eyes twinkling in a way that made Callum want to sigh dreamily as if he was in some kind of cheesy romcom. "That's just enough time to watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine!" She grabbed Ezran's arm and began dragging him back into the main room of her dorm. "Come on! Everyone! Right now!"

Callum began gathering his art materials, pushing his crush on Claudia to the back of his mind. He closed his sketchbook and tucked it away into his satchel, followed by his pens and his pencils.

"Callum!" Rayla exclaimed, jumping in front of him with an excited smile on her face. "Did you hear what Soren and I were talking about? He said he's going to try to get me a spot on the wrestling team! I'm supposed to meet him in the wrestling room two weeks from now. Wednesday, I'm pretty sure he said. Isn't that awesome?"

"I did hear," Callum said as he snapped his satchel shut, "and yes, it is _super_ awesome. I can't wait to see what you -" His train of thought shuddered to a halt as he looked up and saw blood trickling out of his friend's mouth. Instinctively, he reached up and brushed his fingertips just below her bottom lip, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Rayla touched her lip and winced. "Ah. Sometimes I bite my lip when I'm concentrating." She then chuckled. "I guess I was focusing a little too hard."

Callum frowned. The cut looked painful. "I mean, as much as I admire your stoicism, I don't want to see you hurting yourself."

Rayla gave him a smile that was both sweet and amused - a smile that sent butterflies fluttering through his stomach. She placed her hand on top of his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I think you worry too much. But I'll try not to make it a habit."

As he was staring at her bleeding lip, Callum suddenly became aware of how close they were standing. He immediately jerked away, regretting how forcefully his hand was pulled out of hers but too embarrassed to care. "R-Right!" he stammered, a blush rising on his cheeks. "Great! Cool. Super cool. Let's, uh, let's go watch Claudia's show!"

With that, he zoomed out of the kitchen and joined Ezran on the couch, trying hard not to look at Rayla as she took the seat next to him.

Making a new friend was turning out to be way more complicated than he thought.

xXxXxXx

**How obvious is it that I'm in love with Rayla? Probably very much so, because I am very much in love with Rayla, haha. Anyways - I hope you enjoyed, and again I'm sorry that my updating schedule has to be delayed! Here's a hint about next chapter that will either make you feel better or make you hate me more: you're going to see a tad bit of angst for the first time in this fic! (Don't worry, though - this storyline is still deeply rooted in comedy and romance.)**


	4. do wrestling mats have silver linings?

**You should have an answer to the chapter title by the end of this ;) I hope you enjoy!**

xXxXxXx

"And so now the Medicis are the ones who truly control Florence. Unofficial rulers, in a sense. Their name may not have been the same as those who were elected, but they handled every action behind the scenes. Next class we'll finally get to start talking about the kickoff of the Renaissance - something I know you've all been waiting for, or else you wouldn't have taken this class." Professor Dupuy glanced at their watch. "Alright, I'll let you out early. See you all Friday! And don't forget - we're having a quiz on Monday of everything that we finish covering this week!"

The room was filled with the sounds of books closing and binders snapping shut as people began to file out, idle chatter from the students gradually growing in volume.

"I can't believe my first quiz at this school is in one of my _electives_," Rayla groaned, slinging her booksack over her left shoulder. "I never should have taken this class."

"Aw, but then you wouldn't see me three days a week," Callum teased. "I'm sure you couldn't bear to be apart for so long."

Rayla rolled her eyes. "You give yourself too much credit, prince." Then she laughed. "But you're right - I do quite enjoy your company. My week would be boring without it."

Callum returned her smile. "The feeling is mutual."

The two then left the classroom together, waving goodbye to their professor as they chatted about Rayla's upcoming wrestling tryout that day.

"Although, to be honest, I'm not even sure 'tryout' is the right word," Rayla mused. "Because technically, I don't have any wrestling experience. Only martial arts. But Soren said that because of my strength and flexibility, he thinks I'd be a good addition to the team, and that I can pick up the experience I need via practices before I actually participate in any competitions."

"All because you successfully beat him at Twister and nearly beat him at arm wrestling," Callum said, shaking his head in a mixture of amusement and awe. "I hope you know how that is simultaneously insane and awesome, Rayla."

A mischievous glint appeared in her violet eyes. "Wanna know a secret about that arm wrestling match?"

Callum paused halfway down the steps out of the building, moving aside so other students could continue exiting. "Yes?"

"Soren is stronger than me. That's a fact." Rayla gestured to her arm. "I mean, I'm obviously no bodybuilder. But." She grinned at him. "_Leverage_ is key. I'm not going to reveal all of my tactics to you, but let's just say that by positioning myself at a specific angle, my body weight helped add to my force."

Callum raised an eyebrow at her explanation, smirking. "Are you sure that isn't considered cheating?"

Rayla gently shoved him with her shoulder as they continued down the steps together. "It's not cheating. It's _strategy_. There's a difference."

"Barely." Callum pulled up the sleeve of his jacket to check the time, squinting to read the tiny lines on his watch. "You know, I don't have a class until 3. Want to get lunch together?" They'd met up at cafés a few times in the past couple weeks, but only for coffee or a brief chat.

"I can't, remember? I have my wrestling tryout in half an hour! We were just talking about this!" She sighed, rolling her eyes. "You have the worst case of 'selective memory' of anyone I've ever known."

Callum flushed, mostly because she was right - they _had_ just been talking about it. Oops. "Right." He adjusted his satchel so it would stop sliding down his shoulder. "I'll... see you tomorrow, I guess?"

"Or..." Rayla drawled, her accent placing emphasis on the vowel in the word, "you could come with me to my tryout. Keep me company so I'm not forced to follow Soren around like a sad duckling."

Callum snorted at her comment, then proceeded to wince at the thought of being around the wrestling team for an extended period of time. Not only were they mostly juniors and seniors, but they also tended to be twice his size. Much too intimidating for his liking. "I don't know if that's a great idea. Being around them with..." He trailed off, unsure of how to properly articulate _they don't like me already because Harrow is my dad and most of them could use my scrawny self as a toothpick _without sounding like a paranoid idiot.

Hurt flashed across Rayla's face. "Right. No, I get it. Since they're 'cooler' and all. Don't want to ruin your reputation or anything." A mixture of sadness and bitterness edged her tone, and she turned away from him, white hair falling to shield her face. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked in the first place."

Callum was confused by his friend's sudden change in demeanor. Her excitement seemed to have vanished into thin air. But why -

His eyes widened as he realized how his lack of finish must have sounded.

"No no no, that's not it!" he hastily said, moving around to look her directly in the eyes and placing his hands on her shoulders. "It has nothing to do with you! I just don't, like, fit in well with jocks. Because I'm... me. Harrow's son. I couldn't care less that you're..." He found himself trailing off as her expression remained stone cold, his hands falling down to his sides.

"Xadian?" Rayla finished, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not a curse, Callum. Not a 'bad word'. It's just where I'm from." She glared at him. "Anyways. I'll be going to my tryout now. You feel free to do whatever you want -"

"Rayla, listen to me." He reached out and took her right hand in his left one. "You are amazing, and - and you're one of my best friends. Anyone who has an issue with that just because you're Xadian can shove it. I promise you that I'm just genuinely terrified of the wrestling team." He released her hand and gestured to himself. "Look at me! They could snap me like a twig."

That earned a laugh from her, which caused relief to flood through his body.

"_I_ could snap you like a twig," she teased. "I doubt it'd be too hard."

"Exactly! That's why Soren and his wrestling buddies are so terrifying. But." He smiled at her. "If you vow to protect me while we're there, then I'd be glad to accompany you."

Rayla laughed again, offering him a mock-bow. "Of course, my prince. That's what a knight is for."

With the tension between them gone, the two continued walking, now headed towards a bus stop where they could catch a ride to the one of university's centers for sports. Little was said, at first, as they made their way there in a comfortable silence.

Then Rayla paused, grabbing Callum's shoulder to stop him from walking past her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked with a small frown as she turned him around to face her.

"No," she replied. "I just... wanted to apologize. I overreacted."

"No, you had every reason to -"

"I also wanted to thank you," she continued, ignoring his interruption. "For coming with me. And for being my friend. Even though I'm... Xadian."

Callum offered her a comforting smile. "I should be the one thanking you for being _my _friend even though my dad is the head of the school."

Rayla chuckled. "A couple of misfits, aren't we?"

The bus pulled up, and they got on together.

"Yes," Callum agreed as he sat down, a grin stretching across his face. "That we are."

xXxXxXx

The ride to the wrestling building, as Callum didn't know what else to call it, was only about fifteen minutes. Within those fifteen minutes, the duo passed the time by playing Battle with a pack of cards Callum hadn't known he had at the bottom of his satchel.

(He lost. Twice.)

"This is it!" Rayla said as she exited the bus, spinning around in excitement with Callum only a few steps behind her. "This place is going to decide my future!"

Callum rolled his eyes. "I think you might be exaggerating the importance of wrestling."

Rayla paused. "Fair point. But." She shrugged. "You can't deny the importance of sports regarding a person's social status. If I get onto the wrestling team, not only will my physical prowess be officially validated, but I'll also be considered less of an outsider. People might still see me as the weird Xadian, but at least I'll be the weird Xadian who's on a sports team."

Well, she wasn't wrong. Soren was popular even despite the fact that his dad was the dean - maybe it was because he was the star of so many sports. Football, wrestling, swimming.

Following that logic, maybe Callum was unpopular because the only athletics he practiced were finger stretches when his hand cramped up while he was drawing.

Rayla continued to gush about her possibilities if she got onto the wrestling team as they entered the building and made their way towards the appropriate room. Although Callum only comprehended about a third of the words coming out of her mouth, her excitement was still contagious. The way she beamed as she spoke was... adorable. Which was almost funny, because Rayla as a whole was a pretty imposing person and would not typically be described as 'adorable'.

It almost... reminded him of Claudia.

Huh. Maybe living with Claudia meant Rayla had picked up a few of her quirks.

The two stepped into an elevator, and Rayla promptly leaned back against the wall and ran her hands through her hair as it began taking them up to the third floor.

"Okay, now I'm freaking out a little," she admitted, chewing on her bottom lip in the same place where Callum knew her cut had just finished healing. "This is kind of terrifying. There's no guarantee I'm going to get on the team."

"Hey." Callum moved across the elevator to reach up and give her shoulder a gentle squeeze, reminded of the several inches she had on him in height. "Don't let yourself get stressed over this. Everything will be great. _You_ are going to be great. If they turn you down, then they're the ones who are crazy."

"Right," Rayla agreed, though it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than she was him. "It'll be great."

The elevator door opened and she hastily walked out, Callum stumbling and nearly tripping in his attempt to catch up with her.

"Rayla," he called, stopping her in her tracks. He walked around her in order to look her straight in the eyes. "I'm serious. You are so strong and so talented and if they can't see that, then they're just - they're just blind!" He paused. "Actually, that's an insult to blind people, because even a blind person could see how amazing you are."

Rayla hesitated, then she relaxed. Slightly, at least. "Thank you," she said, giving him a small smile. "You're not a half-bad motivational speaker."

"Well, I try my best."

They continued down the hall and arrived at the wrestling room - or one of them, from what Callum understood.

"We're here," Rayla breathed, anxiety edging her tone as she tucked her hair behind her ear, the lavender streaks more faded than the two and a half weeks ago when they'd first met.

She opened the door, and was immediately greeted by an eager Soren.

"Rayla! I'm glad you made it!" His gaze shifted to her right. "And... Callum's here, too?"

"I'm her moral support," Callum explained.

"Like my personal cheerleader," Rayla added. "Minus the pom poms."

Soren nodded. "Cheerleaders are badass. I vibe with that." He then ushered them into the room, where about a dozen wrestlers had paused in their actions to stare at the... unusual trio.

"Guys, this is Rayla," Soren explained. "She's the girl I told you about - the one who beat me in Twister and almost beat me in arm wrestling. I'm gonna talk to Coach B about letting her join the team. She'd be a perfect secret weapon for us."

"Does she know how to wrestle?" someone asked.

"Not yet," Soren admitted, and Callum noticed Rayla wince, "but she's a quick learner, and she's got a lot of natural talent. With some practice, and our support, she's going to be an ace for us. You guys know I have an eye for this kind of thing."

Callum didn't know that, but he figured it'd be best for him if he kept quiet and pretended that he blended into the wall. Too bad his jacket was blue and the wall was an awful shade of beige.

There was a pause. Then a boy with dark curly hair shrugged and came forward, offering his hand for Rayla to shake. "Anyone who beats Soren in anything has my respect. Nice to meet you."

Rayla grinned and accepted his hand. "Thanks. I could probably beat you in anything, too."

The boy laughed. "We'll see. I hope Coach B lets you on the team so we can find out."

Soren then went around the room introducing his teammates to Rayla, which Callum promptly tuned out. It wasn't like he'd remember any of their names, anyway. Not that he didn't care about the wrestling team, but...

Yeah, he didn't care about the wrestling team.

Unless Rayla got on. Then he'd care a little bit.

Callum idly scrolled through Instagram to pass the time. He commented on a post from Claudia's spam about her upcoming exam in bio, reminding her to keep her chin up and that she'd do fine. He liked Ezran's latest photo of Bait - what was it, the fifth that day? His brother seemed to have a slight problem.

He glanced up every now and then to check on Rayla. If the massive smile on her face was an indication of her mood, she seemed to be doing quite well amongst people who loved sports as much as she did.

"What, exactly, is going on in here?"

Callum jumped at the sudden, furious tone, shoving his phone into his pocket and turning around to see a tall, muscular man whose face looked like it had been engraved with a permanent scowl. A scar trailed down from the bottom of his lip to his chin.

He had a bad feeling about this.

"Coach B!" Soren said, his face lighting up at the sight of the man. "I'm glad you're back. I wanted to introduce you to -"

"Why is that Xadian in here?" the coach interrupted, his voice sharp as a blade and dripping with venom. Rayla looked like she'd been punched in the gut by his words. "I don't recall granting permission for this scum to be allowed in our practice room."

Rayla's face was slowly growing paler. Her eyes glinted with frustration, and she was clenching her jaw in a clear attempt to keep back a shout of protest, or maybe to prevent tears from falling. Callum instinctively moved forward and slipped his hand into hers. He wasn't sure if his presence would provide much comfort, but it was the only way he knew to express his support without saying anything. And though she didn't move to look at him, she did give his hand a grateful squeeze.

"_Rayla_ is the person I was telling you about earlier," Soren said, putting emphasis on her name. "I think she'd make a good addition to our team."

The coach snorted. "A Xadian? She'd lose on purpose just to make KSU look bad."

Rayla stiffened. Her nails dug into Callum's palm, but he didn't let go. She still did not speak, gritting her teeth and bearing the verbal abuse.

"Coach, you can't be serious -" Soren started to protest, but his words went ignored.

"I wouldn't put sabotage past her either," the coach snarled. "At least if any equipment malfunctioned or went missing, we'd know exactly who to blame."

"Coach B!" Soren snapped. "Rayla is an athlete and a damn good one at that! You can't seriously be considering turning her down just because she's Xadian?!"

His protests fell on deaf ears as the coach took a step towards Rayla, giving her an icy glare that sent a chill down Callum's spine. "Listen up, Moonshadow. I don't know why Harrow approved your stay here. Plenty of us were against it, and I'll have you know that I was one of those people. I don't regret my stance, either. Your kind don't belong in Katolis and -"

"Shut up!" Callum interrupted, his grip tightening on Rayla's hand. He couldn't listen to the man's bigoted tirade any longer. "You can't talk to her like that!"

"It's free speech, kid," was all the man snarled in response.

"We'll see what my dad has to say about your so-called 'free speech'," Callum retorted, seething in anger. "Come on, Rayla. You don't have to listen to this." He pulled her out of the room, slamming the door behind him and cutting off whatever final words the coach had prepared for them. He didn't stop walking until they'd gone completely out of the building, and even then he didn't let go of Rayla's hand.

He turned around to face her, an apology ready about how he was beyond sorry that she'd had to go through that, but the words fell from his lips when he saw the defeated look on her face.

She pulled her hand out of his, wrapping her arms around herself. She sighed, the gray sky matching her tone of voice with an eerie accuracy. "I knew it wouldn't be easy here," she murmured. "The first few weeks were so much fun…" She sighed. "I guess I should have realized it was too good to be true. I only signed up for this stupid exchange because it shaved off half my tuition, which I knew would be a huge help to Runaan and Ethari. Something like this was bound to happen." The defeat in her eyes was then gradually replaced by a white hot anger. "And the worst part is that most people aren't at all like that bastard! Most people have been nothing but kind to me, even if I can see the discomfort in their eyes. Even if I know they don't like me because I'm Xadian, at least they don't… at least they don't _show_ it." She trailed off, her fists clenching tightly before slowly falling open.

Callum said nothing. He knew it wasn't yet his place to speak.

Rain started to fall, landing on Rayla's cheeks with a heartbreaking resemblance to tears. Although, tears didn't match the steely determination growing in her violet eyes. "Sometimes I wish I'd never come," she finally said. "At the same time... I know it's a good thing that I did, because _someone_ has to take that first step. But..." She turned to face Callum, and this time he wasn't sure it was only rain falling down her face. "Is it bad that I sometimes wish that person didn't have to be me?"

There was a pause before he spoke. "You're only human, Rayla. Of course it's not wrong that you don't want people to judge you just because of where you're from. And I know it's no consolation, but the way you deal with the glares and the stares and the angry words so, so calmly - you're the strongest person I know!" He gave her a soft, genuine smile. "Rayla, you don't know how grateful I am that you came here. My freshman year would have been incredibly miserable and lonely without you in it."

Rayla chuckled at his comment - not quite a laugh, but Callum still considered it a small victory. "Thanks. You and Claudia, Soren, and even Professor Harrow and Ezran - you guys are the reason I'm staying. That, and I do enjoy most of my classes here."

Callum nodded. "Don't let this one jerk bring you down! Like you said - that coach is a bigot, unfortunately, but at least he's one of a few. I'm sure there's another sport, probably several other sports, that you'd be amazing in."

"Hey - you took the words right out of my mouth, little guy."

The two turned around to see the boy with curly dark hair from the wrestling room walking their way.

"Soren's trying to pacify Coach B still," he explained, "so I was sent to deliver messages in his stead. One, he apologizes for his coach's actions and regrets to inform you that wrestling may not be the right sport for you here. Two, he instead wants you to try out for the football team."

Rayla raised an eyebrow. "Isn't Katolian football typically not... co-ed?"

The boy shrugged. "Soren said there's nothing officially in the rule book to prevent girls from trying out - it's just that no girl has ever done so before. He seems to think you can do it. He also says that you're built like a wide receiver."

"Oh? In what way?"

"Tall, strong, and fast."

"Hm." Rayla smiled. A small smile, Callum noted, but a smile nonetheless. "Well, he's right. For once."

The boy laughed before continuing. "He also says that Coach Zhou is a lot more cooperative than Coach B, so there should be less of an issue of... er, prejudice."

"I'll consider it," Rayla said after a pause. "That's all I can agree to for now. When are tryouts?"

"Next Friday on the football field. Starts around one, ends whenever it ends. People tend to be released at different times." He winked at her. "You can just text me if you forget."

Rayla tilted her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "You know very well that I don't remember your name, much less have your number."

His grin widened, and a strange feeling began gnawing at the inside of Callum's stomach. "I'm glad you asked." He handed her a slip of paper, which she accepted but stuck into her pocket without looking at it. "Talk to you later, then?"

Rayla shrugged. "We'll see."

Her blasé response didn't seem to faze the wrestler, who simply winked at her again before he returned to inside the building.

"He seems... interesting," Callum finally said, unsure of why his words felt so forced.

Rayla shrugged. "I guess. A little cocky, maybe. Not unlike Soren." She smiled at him. "That being said, not only did he not care that I was Xadian, he also didn't care that I was a girl who wanted to play a 'boy' sport! It's hard finding men who've worked to unlearn institutionalized sexism, you know."

"Does that mean you're going to try out after all?" Callum found himself asking.

"I might," Rayla admitted. "Playing football is better than playing no sport at all. And I do know a decent amount of information about the game already. But I'll have to start practicing tomorrow if I plan to go through with it."

Callum nodded. "Well, I'm sure you'll get on the team." He meant it.

"Aw, you flatterer," Rayla teased. "But I hope you're right." She pulled her phone out of her pocket, shielding it with her free hand to keep rain from falling onto the screen. "You know, this tryout got cut much shorter than I thought it would." She put her phone away and gave him a tentative smile. "Does... lunch still sound good to you?"

Callum grinned at her, feeling happier than he had all day. "Lunch sounds great."

It seemed every cloud did have a silver lining. Wrestling mats, too.

xXxXxXx

**Second semester has me really stressed right now and I'm genuinely terrified that I'm either gonna lose motivation or inspiration for this fic. But right now, I want to keep writing, and keep writing I will. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you so much for reading!**


	5. related rates (of your heartbeats)

**I apologize that it's been a while! I planned to upload a new chapter last weekend, but I got sick and barely had enough energy to do my homework. A week later, I am ****_still_**** sick, but hopefully the new medicine I've started will help soon. (I also have two tests the day I go back to school - wish me luck.) I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

xXxXxXx

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" Callum mumbled to himself for the umpteenth time, running a hand through his hair and sighing. "Thou art more temperate and more fair. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May."

He didn't know why he was rereading the sonnet again. It wasn't like that had helped the previous twenty-something tries.

God, why had he taken poetry to fulfill his English requirement? Mostly because he thought it'd be easier and slightly more interesting than traditional literature, but it was turning out to be just as difficult. In a different, more excruciating way. He hadn't expected sonnets to be so important, although he probably should have.

He just didn't _understand_ what he was supposed to be looking for. Listening for. Whatever. Logically, he knew he was looking for sound devices, sure, but that hadn't clarified much for him. The poem all sounded the same. Words. Old, fancy words. Leaving his mouth. Huzzah.

English had never been his strong suit, and apparently college was no exception to this rule. How unfortunate for him.

His phone rang, breaking his concentration. 'Rang' wasn't the right word, of course, as he never had his ringer on. Rather, his phone buzzed loudly and got his attention. He glanced at the caller ID, raising an eyebrow but finding himself smiling as he read who it was.

Callum didn't typically answer phone calls, unless it was Ezran or Harrow. Claudia, too, though she hated talking on the phone almost as much as he did and therefore relied primarily on texts. Maybe he'd answer Soren once in a blue moon, though it wasn't like he and Soren talked much outside of physical interactions. Anyone else? Not likely.

But this was _Rayla_.

Surely he could make an exception.

He picked up his phone. "Hello?"

"Oh thank God you picked up." The relief in his friend's voice was evident, the thickness of her accent increasing and making her words nearly unintelligible.

Callum sat up, suddenly feeling much more alert. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine," she reassured him. "I need your help with something. It's important."

Callum frowned, trying to figure out what could be so serious that she'd called him to ask for assistance. "What do you need?"

An almost comical beat passed.

"It's my calculus homework."

Callum groaned at her words, slumping against the backboard of his bed in relief. "Jesus. You nearly gave me a heart attack, Rayla. I really thought something bad had happened."

"Something bad _is_ happening!" she protested. "I can't do my math assignment! And I'd normally ask Claudia for help, since we take calc together, but she had to leave about an hour ago to do something with Professor Viren. Her dad. Whatever."

Callum snorted. "Glad to know I'm second on your hierarchy of helpers."

"Please just come over and help me. I know you're smart and good at math and science and all kinds of boring stuff like that."

"Insulting my field of study isn't exactly winning you points, you know."

"Oh, shut it. I'm in Claudia's dorm. Er, my dorm. Our dorm?" She sighed, and he could practically see her blowing her hair out of her face in exasperation. "Just get over here." With that, she hung up.

Callum rolled his eyes and put his phone away. He glanced at his bed, where his English homework lay waiting expectantly. The mess of papers made him shudder.

Well, at least he wouldn't be working alone anymore.

He packed his necessary books - sketchbook included - and papers into his satchel before slinging it over his body. He glanced at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, running a brush through his hair in a pathetic attempt to smooth it down. Not that Rayla would care one way or another about his appearance, but nonetheless _he_ cared about looking decent.

The girls' dorms, if they could be classified as such, actually weren't far from the boys' dorms. Walking there would take little more time than a bus, not to mention it meant he wouldn't have to deal with some stranger's sweaty armpits. It was also a beautiful day outside.

As he was walking, his mind drifted, aided by the fact that he'd put in headphones and was listening to some random instrumental track. His thoughts always tended to float around when he wasn't intently working on something.

In all honesty, Callum wasn't sure how much he'd be able to help Rayla. He'd tested out of basic calculus for KSU during the spring semester of his senior year in high school, but hopefully he'd still remember it. He was in calculus-based physics, so it wasn't like he'd completely abandoned calculus since then. Besides - it would be more than just a little embarrassing if he went all the way to Rayla's dorm to help her with math, only to find that he'd forgotten how to do most of it.

Rayla would never let him hear the end of it. What a terrifying prospect.

In his defense, she hadn't given him much of a choice on whether or not to come. She didn't seem like the kind of person who took 'no' for an answer.

Callum blinked as he realized that he'd arrived at the dorm. Apparently his muscle memory had taken him there without an issue.

He put away his headphones and only knocked once before Rayla opened the door and dragged him inside.

"Whoa," he said as she slammed the door shut and locked it. "I take it this assignment is really urgent?"

Rayla didn't answer immediately, instead pulling him into her and Claudia's bedroom, kicking pens and pencils out of the way. The floor was covered in papers and assorted other knick knacks, with the cord of her laptop stretched out across presumably her bed in order to reach the floor and charge her computer.

"Yes. Very, very urgent," Rayla insisted as she sat down in the space between her computer and the base of her bed. She cleared some of the papers from the floor and pulled him down next to her. "I was so busy preparing for football tryouts over the weekend that I forgot about this assignment, and now it's due in two hours! I didn't know who else to ask for help."

Both her compliment and the fact that their shoulders were pressed together made the blood rush to Callum's face. "Football tryouts?" he managed to say. Wow. So eloquent of him. "Speaking of, how's - how's practice for that going?"

Rayla shrugged. "Eh. Not bad, I guess. Soren has been really patient in helping me. I've had more rules and strategies shoved into my brain these past few days than I ever thought it could hold." She frowned. "He keeps telling me that I'm some kind of 'natural', but I really don't see what's so special about what I'm doing! Run forward, catch the ball, keep running towards the end of the field. Maybe bulldoze a player on the way there. Next play, repeat." Then she laughed. "You know, Felix has actually been pretty helpful, too, even though we're competing for the same spot on the team."

Callum frowned. "Felix? Who's that?"

Rayla waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, he's the guy from the wrestling team last week. We're both trying out for the position of wide receiver. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't think he'll get it." She winced. "Okay, that was a little harsh of me. He's good, and he's helped me understand a lot about the technical aspects of football, but I just don't think he's _fast_ enough to be a wide receiver."

Callum decided that he did not want to talk about Felix, though he couldn't quite put a finger on why. Instead, he steered the conversation back towards the reason he was here. "So what is it about this assignment that you need help with?"

Rayla tapped the mousepad on her computer and signed in, her lockscreen lifting to reveal an online set of ten problems. She attempted to move the computer to his lap, but the cord was too short, so she rested half of it on her left knee and the other half on his right. The position was precarious, but either she didn't notice or she didn't care. Presumably the latter. "It's related rates."

Callum breathed a silent sigh of relief. He remembered those.

"And I know it's only a ten question assignment, and I know the problems are really basic because we just started this unit, but I just don't _get_ them." She sighed, blowing her hair out of her face. Afterwards, her hair promptly fell back to where it had been before. "It's like there's a mental block that I don't know how to get around."

Callum nodded. That was definitely how he was feeling with poetry at the moment. "Alright. Then let's start with the conceptual side of related rates. I assume you know what a derivative is?"

"The slope of a line at any given point." She mock-glared at him. "I'm not _that_ stupid, Callum."

"I know! I was just making sure. But can you explain what a derivative is in a more general sense? Like without describing it in terms of a line."

Rayla hesitated, opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish. "Are you going to make fun of me if I say no?"

"Of course not." He knew what it was like to be spoken to condescendingly when he was trying to learn - his tenth grade history tutor had been awful. "Think of it this way: you already said that a derivative is slope. And slope represents rate of change. Therefore a derivative is the rate of change of something at any given time."

"Oh, _duh_," Rayla grumbled, smacking her forehead with the base of her palm. "I swear, I did actually know that." She pushed her hair out of her face and behind her ear. "So with related rates... The derivatives are going to be connected, somehow?"

Callum nodded, giving her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. "Exactly!" He carefully shifted her computer and read the first problem aloud. "Air is being pumped into a spherical balloon at a rate of 5 cm3/min. Determine the rate at which the radius of the balloon is increasing when the diameter of the balloon is 20 cm." He cleared his throat before continuing. "In this case, a sphere is increasing in volume. So, what are some other measurements of a sphere that must also be increasing?"

Rayla pursed her lips, which was actually pretty adorable. Not that Callum would ever admit it. "Uh... Well, the radius, I guess?"

"Right. Any others?"

"Mm... Diameter? Surface area?"

"Yup! And with a sphere, especially since you said it's only the beginning of the unit, you're mainly going to be working with the volume and the radius."

Rayla nodded, appearing slightly more confident. "Great. Cool. Got it. What now?"

"Well... I usually like to label the components given in the problem. It helps me sort everything out in my brain before I try to solve anything, and I would say it's especially useful if I don't know what to do." Callum shifted slightly to his right so Rayla could better see her computer, all too aware that his action had also moved him closer to her. "So what do they give us in the problem, and what do they want us to solve for?"

Rayla didn't answer immediately, her eyes scanning the screen as she reread the problem. "They name the diameter... and they give us V prime. They want to know what r prime is." She glanced up at him. "Right?"

He smiled at her. "Nicely done. Now, do you remember what the first step in a related rates problem is?" The guilty look that fell on her face informed him that she did not remember, and he couldn't help but laugh. "That's alright. In this case, you need to take the derivative of the formula for the volume of a sphere with respect to time. That means each variable will have a prime."

"So... Kinda like implicit differentiation?"

"Yeah! Er, in a sense."

Rayla grabbed a notebook from beside her, which Callum noticed was already covered with scratched-out formulas. She somehow managed to find a blank space amidst all of the writing and began to work out the problem. "Like this?" she asked upon finishing, handing the notebook to him.

Callum skimmed her work, and other than jotting down a prime mark that she'd left out at the end, it was correct. "Awesome. Now just plug in the values they gave you in the problem, and you should get the right answer."

As she began to work on that, Callum directed his attention to the English homework that he had begrudgingly brought along. He _knew_ that he needed to be productive...

But it would be so much easier not to be.

Maybe he'd work on a drawing or two. Just for a little while.

He pulled out his sketchbook and flipped to a piece that he'd been working on earlier that day. One of his mother.

It saddened him, sometimes, that he was starting to need pictures to remember what she looked like. That was why he tried to sketch her at least once a month - so he'd never forget.

"Who's that?"

Callum jumped at Rayla's sudden question, and tried not to freak out - externally, at least - over the fact that she was leaning over his shoulder. Their faces were so close he could hear her breathing.

"Wait." Rayla reached out, her fingers brushing over the sketch. "Is she… your mother?"

Callum hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. She died when I was little."

"Oh, Callum." Her voice was sorrowful, but not pitying. There was a pause before she continued. "She's beautiful." She offered him a small smile. "You look like her. Although I'm sure you've been told that before."

He chuckled. "Yeah. My dad reminds me all the time." There was another pause, and he found himself closing his sketchbook. "I should probably be doing homework, anyways. Sketching is my way of procrastinating."

Rayla laughed, and any tension that may have been forming was gone. "Speaking of procrastination, I realized that I wasn't given a radius. So I don't know what to do from here."

"Oh, they're trying to trick you with that. They gave you the diameter, right? Find your radius from there."

Rayla blinked, then groaned. "Duh!" She sighed, making a 'tsk' sound. "How did I miss that?" She shook her head, clearly chastising herself. "Do I have permission to call you up in the future if I need a common sense check again?"

Callum laughed. "Of course. Only you, though."

"Wow. What a tease."

Callum's only response was to blush, and he counted himself lucky that Rayla had already redirected her attention to her computer and had started working through the second problem.

He proceeded to flip through his notes to the assignment he was supposed to be working on - yay, sound devices. Maybe there was... assonance in the sonnet? There were definitely three a's in the first line, but each was pronounced differently in their respective words - shall, compare, day. So maybe assonance wasn't it. But there didn't seem to be any consonance, either. God, this was stupid.

Callum noticed out of the corner of his eye that Rayla seemed to be progressing through the problems quickly - she'd already gotten to the fourth question, the green check marks indicating that all of her previous answers were correct. She was clearly better at math than she gave herself credit for. She'd just needed a boost with the conceptual side of things, which was honestly what most people, even math majors, tended to struggle with.

Back to the sonnet. Unfortunately.

"Thou art more temperate and more fair," he repeated, returning to his mantra from earlier as if that was somehow going to clarify everything for him. He sighed and scratched out whatever nonsense he'd written next to the sonnet.

"What're you working on now?" Rayla asked, leaning back over to look at his papers.

"Oh no," Callum said, shifting away so she couldn't see his homework. Partially because he was embarrassed by his lack of progress, and partially because he wanted her to finish her own assignment. "No more distractions until you've finished that problem set. You've procrastinated long enough."

Rayla rolled her eyes, though there was no irritation behind it. "Whatever. I'm almost done already."

"Then finish!"

"Fine, fine. Meanie."

Only a few minutes later, though, was Callum interrupted by Rayla's groan of frustration. "Here," she grumbled, shoving her papers onto his lap. "Check my work. I swear I did it all right, but the stupid program keeps saying that my answer is wrong!"

Callum skimmed her work, and sure enough, everything seemed to be correct. He frowned. "Can I see the problem?"

Rayla returned her laptop to its previous position on both of their knees, having moved it away earlier so he could work on his own assignment.

He read the final question and immediately noticed the issue. "Oh, you just forgot a sign," he explained. "It says the volume is _decreasing_ by three pi, so your V prime needs to be negative. But I don't think your numerical work needs to be changed - just make your answer negative instead of positive."

As instructed, Rayla added a negative sign to her answer and submitted it again. The green check that appeared next to it now indicated not only that she'd solved the problem correctly but also that she'd completed the assignment.

Rayla groaned and dropped her head onto his shoulder after snapping her laptop shut. "I can't believe I'm literally blind. How did I not see that?!"

Callum found himself flushing at her sudden action. "You're not - you're not blind," he managed to say. "I make that kind of mistake all of the time, too."

Rayla shrugged, though she didn't remove her head from his shoulder. Callum found, oddly enough, that he didn't mind. "I think you're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Did it work?"

Rayla laughed and sat up, gently shoving his shoulder. "A little bit. I appreciate the effort." She peered down at his papers. "So, what have you been working on this whole time?"

Callum grimaced. "Poetry. We're doing sonnets."

Rayla's eyes sparkled, her excitement bright enough to light the room. "Oh, I love sonnets! Which one are you working on?"

"Shakespearean. The classic, of course - 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day'," he said dryly. "I'm supposed to be looking for sound devices. I don't know if I've mentioned this to you yet, but English is not one of my strongest subjects."

"Lucky for you, it _is_ mine." Rayla winked at him. "Now I can return the favor and help you with one of your assignments!" She took the sonnet out of his hands before her could protest, smoothing the paper over her knee before holding it out in front of her. "Here's my advice: the best way to look for _sound_ devices is to read the poem out loud, especially if you're new to poetry."

"But I _did_ read it out loud," he insisted. "Although I think I butchered the iambic pentameter."

Rayla laughed. "Don't worry - iambic pentameter is difficult for anyone, even those who specifically study Shakespeare. But it's not _just_ about reading the sonnet out loud, silly prince. It's about reading it with _feeling_. Almost... performing. You have to think about what you're saying as you say it. In doing so, you'll better be able to hear how it sounds." She cleared her throat, turning to her left to better face him. "Shall I compare thee to... a summer's day?" Her dramatic pause almost made him laugh. "Thou art more temperate and more fair."

Her voice was wistful, but by no means faint. Maybe it was the beats she took, or the way she paused to move her hair out of her face, or even her inflection on seemingly random words, but Callum found himself swept away by her reading. He never thought he could enjoy poetry, much less a Shakespearean sonnet, but if Rayla was the one performing it...

"So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see," she murmured, drawing the poem to a close, "so long lives this, and this gives life to thee."

Callum stared into her eyes, so entranced that he didn't realize that she'd stopped speaking.

Then Rayla looked away, her face dusted with a pale pink. "Anyways!" she said, probably louder than was necessary in the small bedroom. "Sonnets are love poems. That's the most important thing to remember when you're reading them." She handed his paper back to him, though she did not make eye contact. "And now that you've heard me, I want you to read it out loud."

Callum winced, the spell cast from her performance finally breaking. "I'm not really an orator -"

"So? Just pretend that you're - that you're reading to Claudia instead of me. This sonnet is sweet and genuine, and we all know that you're a big softie at heart."

Callum's face reddened at her words. "Er. Okay." He began to read the sonnet, accepting after the first line that he was nowhere near as eloquent as Rayla and would probably never be. He stumbled over words, and he had to repeat himself several times, but he did his best to focus on what he was saying and how it sounded.

_Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May._

The description sounded harsh - a biting criticism of the flaws of summer.

_But thy eternal summer shall not fade._

The line was smoother, praising the subject of the speaker's affection.

_When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st._

The sonnet immortalized the speaker's love as well as the lover themself - much like his art immortalized the people he sketched.

Huh. The poem was... slowly making more sense.

"Y'know, that wasn't half bad for someone who claims to not like English," Rayla said, smirking at him. "There's a poet in you yet."

"Ha!" he snorted. "Yeah, no. I do not like English. I'll leave the poetry to you, thanks."

Rayla laughed. "Alright, alright. But did that at least help you?"

Callum paused. It _had_ helped him. More than he'd predicted it would. "Yeah. I feel like I better understand what the poem is saying now." He bit his lip, trying to process his thoughts. "It felt... harsher in the parts where the speaker was talking about the flaws of summer. Gentler when they were talking about the good things. Er, the stuff they liked about their lover. So... juxtaposition?"

"Ooh, good catch!" Rayla said, grinning at him. "We use 'cacophonous' to describe those harsh sounds and 'euphonous' to describe the softer ones, which makes sense if you know words like 'cacophony'." She winked at him. "Just a little terminology for you."

Callum nodded and took a moment to jot down his thoughts about the sonnet before they could escape his mind, including the newfound vocabulary that Rayla had graced him with. The assignment had only been to annotate for sound devices - no real analysis required - thus he considered the poem to now have plenty of notations recorded on it. At least enough for a completion grade. "Yes," he finally said. "That makes sense. I'm no English major, but even I can make that connection."

Rayla rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Smartypants. I think a 'thank you' would have been more appropriate."

"What? I already thanked you!" At least he thought he had.

"Well if I didn't hear it, it doesn't count."

"Oh, please. You're ridiculous."

"No more than you!"

Callum started to laugh, but was interrupted by the sound of metal clanging. It was an alarm on his phone, reminding him that he had class in a half hour.

"That's a terrible noise," Rayla said, wincing as he dismissed the notification from his phone and thereby silenced the sound. "You should reconsider your alarm choices."

"I'll think about it." Callum tucked his phone into his pocket. "I guess I should be on my way out."

Rayla pouted. "What, you're going to abandon me?"

"For physics?" He began to collect his papers from her floor. "I have no choice, unfortunately." He stuck them into his satchel in as neat a pile as he could manage. "If it's any consolation, I would much rather stay here. My professor is nowhere near as funny as you." Although, most people weren't as funny as Rayla.

"As if anyone could be as funny as me."

"Mm, touché," Callum admitted, doing his best to pretend he hadn't been thinking exactly that. He snapped his satchel shut and got to his feet, dusting off his pants. "Walk me to the door?"

Rayla rolled her eyes as she stood, the smirk dancing on her lips as clear as day. "You need me to coddle you?" She chuckled. "Oh wait - I forgot the prince is incompetent without me."

Callum dramatically placed his hand over his heart, as if wounded by her words. He resisted the urge to laugh at her comment - he didn't want to give her that satisfaction. "Am I not allowed to enjoy the company of my loyal knight?"

"No, of course not," Rayla reprimanded as they walked to the door of her dorm. "A prince and a knight? You know very well that our friendship is forbidden. We never should have spoken to each other in the first place."

Callum paused with his hand on the doorknob, the reality of her words sinking in. KSU was, on the whole, accepting of Rayla's presence. But there were still too many people who didn't believe that Katolians and Xadians could ever get along, much less be friends. "For the record," he said, turning around to look directly at Rayla, "I'm glad the prince and the knight started talking. Screw what anyone else thinks."

Rayla blinked, seemingly stunned by his words. Then she smiled. A gentle smile that Callum had never seen on her lips before, but one that didn't feel uncharacteristic, either. "So am I."

There was a moment when neither spoke.

(God, Rayla really was almost half a head taller than him, wasn't she?)

"Anyways!" Rayla exclaimed, clapping her hands together in an obvious attempt to break the silence. Her face was red. "I guess you need to... get going! Don't want to be late."

Callum nodded, though he didn't move.

"Oh," Rayla said, snapping her fingers as a thought occurred to her and in doing so successfully broke Callum out of his reverie. "After Renaissance History on Friday, I was wondering if you wanted to come to the football tryouts with me! Maybe get something to eat afterwards?"

Callum bit his lip. He was tempted. Seriously, seriously tempted. But... "I think I have to watch Ezran on Friday." Noticing disappointment flash across her face, he hastily added, "I might be able to catch the beginning, though!"

Rayla beamed at him. "Awesome. Bring some pom poms so you can cheer me on."

"Eh... We'll have to see about that one." He started to leave, then hesitated. "Hey... Can this homework session become a regular thing? It was really helpful today."

Rayla seemed taken aback by his suggestion, but then her smile widened. "I'd love to. Same time next week?"

Callum nodded. "Roger that."

This time, Callum successfully left the dorm, Rayla thanking him again for his help after he did the same for her.

As he walked towards his physics class, Callum slowly realized that there was genuinely no other person that he would go to _football_ tryouts for. Claudia and Soren had persuaded him to go to a game or two in previous years, but he had always adamantly refused to attend tryouts.

Huh. Rayla really had him wrapped around her finger.

Weirdest of all, though, was that he did not mind in the slightest.

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**Quick update-schedule news: I probably will not be able to post during March because I have school-related events every weekend except one (I definitely intend to try to update that weekend, but I don't want to get ahead of myself). I hope you understand and that you'll stick around for the next update, whenever it may come! Thank you so much for reading!**


	6. no football in the roman colosseum

**I am currently "quarantined" because of COVID-19, so here is a new chapter ****_before_**** the end of March! As was pointed out to me, even quarantine has a silver lining. Everyone, stay safe, practice social distancing, and WASH YOUR HANDS! I hope you enjoy the chapter. :)**

xXxXxXx

"Don't ask me anything about what we reviewed in class," Rayla announced as she practically marched down the steps of the history building. "I'm not sure I understood a single word Professor Dupuy said to us." She grinned sheepishly at Callum. "I hope your notes are thorough, because I'm definitely going to need them for our test next week."

Callum rolled his eyes but laughed as he followed her out. "Yes, Rayla, I will let you use my notes, and yes, I will help you study." He winked at her. "I know that's what you're really asking."

"Aw, you know me so well," she teased. "But seriously - thank you."

"Uh huh. You're welcome." Callum realized as he spoke that Rayla was walking towards the bus stop - or, more importantly, he noticed that she was walking away from him - and he grabbed her arm to stop her. "You don't need to take the bus," he explained when she glanced back at him in confusion. "I went ahead and drove to this class because I need to leave your tryouts early to watch Ezran. Since I have my car, it means I can drive you there."

"Ah," Rayla said slowly as he let go of her arm, a smile widening on her face. "Smart prince. I knew I kept you around for some reason."

"Entertainment value."

The two walked to his car, which Callum had made sure to back into a parking spot for ease of exiting. He didn't want to make Rayla late. He knew how important this was for her.

"So," he said as he turned the key in the ignition, the car sputtering to a start. Rayla buckled in next him. "Do you feel prepared for your tryout?"

"Before I answer that," Rayla began, adjusting her seatbelt so it wasn't pressed so high on her neck, "there's something I need to get off my chest." She muttered something in a language that Callum didn't recognize - that said, her tone of exasperation was universal. "It is just so _weird _that you drive on the right side of the road! I mean, I've taken buses for the most part since I got here - I should probably make the school pay for a rental car - but I still always feel like someone is going to ram into me."

Callum snorted, unsure of what he'd been expecting her to say but knowing that it hadn't been that. "Of all the things you've complained about so far, I'm not sure if that's the most or least valid."

"Shut up. I didn't tell you because I wanted your criticism. Like I said - I just wanted to get it off my chest!"

Callum laughed at the emphasis she put on her words from earlier as he pulled out of the parking lot, having to first wait for several cars to pass before he could make a left turn across the road. "Anyways. My initial question?"

"Oh, right." Rayla shrugged. "I mean, I guess I am. I've been preparing for what - a week and a half? For most people that probably wouldn't have been enough time, but I think it was for me." She pulled a hair tie out of her booksack, somehow not spilling the athletic clothes haphazardly stuffed inside all over the floor of his car. She ran her hand through her hair to smooth it before pulling it up into a tight topknot. "I'm fast, I'm strong, and I understand the game. I don't know what else I could have done."

"Not to flex on your own abilities or anything."

"Nah, of course not." She finished tying up her hair before sending him an amused smile. "But physically I _am_ completely capable of playing. Simple as that. And since I'm about average height for a guy in his late teens..." She paused. "Well, my height combined with my speed means I have little trouble catching the ball. I just outrun the corner defending me." Then she sighed, and Callum noticed doubt flicker in her eyes. "I just have to hope that this coach isn't quite so... xenophobic. Or sexist."

Callum stopped at a red light, seizing the moment to take his eyes off the road and turn to face Rayla. "You are going to be amazing. I don't know the slightest thing about football, yes, but I'm going to cheer you on from the sidelines no matter what. You will be the best player on that field - understand me?"

Rayla didn't answer immediately, but the doubt in her eyes faded and was replaced by gratitude. "Thanks, Callum."

The loud honk behind them let him know that the light had turned green, and he pulled his gaze off of his friend - with much effort - and refocused it on the road as he continued driving. "If you get my sketchbook out of my bag, there should be a folded paper sticking out the top." He found himself grinning. "Since I don't have actual pom poms, this was the second best thing I could whip up."

The drawing included a sketch of Rayla putting her hair up in a manner similar to what she'd done only seconds ago, as well as a colored picture of himself cheering her on with silver and gold pom pom**s**.

There was rustling as Rayla reached down to grab his bag out of the back of his car, carefully taking the sketchbook out and removing the paper he'd stuck in at the top. As tempted as Callum was to turn and watch her reaction, he did value their lives and the condition of his car more. But only slightly. Nonetheless, he kept his eyes on the road.

"You look pretty good in a cheerleading uniform," Rayla said after a pause. The teasing lilt in her voice caused her accent to thicken on the vowels. "Though it's a shame you didn't go the extra mile and give yourself a miniskirt. Would've been pretty hot."

Callum rolled his eyes, pretending his face hadn't gone red at the thought. "In your dreams."

"Ha. You _wish_. More like in my nightmares." There was a brief silence, and though Callum couldn't see her face, he could feel Rayla's expression softening. "Thank you, Callum. You didn't have to do this."

"Of course I didn't _have_ to." He flicked on his right turn signal, the football field now only a few streets over. "But I wanted to."

Rayla huffed, an amusing sound that was just short of a laugh. "I can't believe you're literally the nicest person in the world. How on Earth did you become friends with me, of all people?"

"Because you're amazing," he said instantly, as if it was obvious. Which... it was. At least to him. "I should be asking why you became friends with me."

Rayla snickered. "Wow. We're really debating about whether or not we deserve each other's friendship. What a pair of losers we are."

Callum pulled into the football field's parking lot, taking his car out of drive before turning it off and removing the key from the ignition. "Well, if it's any consolation, I'd much rather be a loser with you than by myself."

Rayla grinned. "I'm sure you'll be ecstatic to know that the feeling is mutual."

They continued their lighthearted banter as Rayla gathered her things before they got out of his car. They probably wouldn't have stopped, either, had it not been for Claudia's sudden appearance that startled them both when they made it onto the field.

"Aw, did you come to cheer on Rayla, too?" Claudia cooed, placing her hands over her heart. "Callum, that is so sweet."

"He even gave these amazing drawings to me!" Rayla said eagerly, showing the artwork to the girl. "Isn't it awesome?"

Claudia sent Callum a wicked grin after glancing at the sketches, a knowing glint sparkling in her green eyes. He felt slightly unnerved. "Yes... Yes it is."

Correction: more than slightly.

Callum didn't understand why she was looking at him like that. Part of him did not want to know. Well - he could always ask her about it later. Probably whenever they moved to the sidelines.

"Rayla!" Soren ran up to the three, already halfway dressed in his football uniform. "Perfect timing. We're starting drills in about ten minutes." He pointed to an exit of the field behind him on his left. "Locker rooms are in there, if you plan on changing."

Rayla shouldered her bag. Callum noticed her grip tighten on the strap. Last-minute anxiety, presumably. "Yep." She gave her friends a final, nervous grin. "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck," Callum replied immediately, with as reassuring a smile as he could muster. "You'll be great! Remember - I'll be cheering you on."

Rayla grinned at him then began making her way towards the locker room.

"Break a leg!" Claudia called after her. "Non-literally!" Her comments earned her a lighthearted elbow in the stomach from Soren, who then instructed the duo to sit on the sidelines before he, too, had to return to practice.

"So..." Claudia after they'd moved off the field, pulling Callum down onto the bleacher next to her. "You've been hanging out with Rayla a lot these past few weeks, haven't you?"

Huh. It really hadn't been much more than a month since Rayla had arrived at the school. It felt like he'd known her for years already - in the best possible way, of course. "I mean... I guess so?" He wasn't sure how to answer her question. Rayla was just... always around. And when she wasn't around, either she'd text him or he'd text her - usually the former, admittedly, because Callum was the worst about staying in contact with people - and they'd meet up a few minutes later.

Claudia smirked at him. "Uh huh." She leaned back in her seat and gave him a knowing look. "Is there anything going on between the two of you that I should know about?"

Callum frowned. "We've helped each other out with homework a few times, if that's what you mean." Every Wednesday, for that matter. "If you're asking about something else, then... No?" They'd also been each other's company to lunch and brunch and whatever numerous times, but that was pretty common knowledge on campus. The not-so-subtle glares and stares still sent their way were annoying.

Claudia groaned, rolling her eyes. "Dear God, you are so oblivious."

"I'm - what?"

"Oh, never mind." She reached her arms above her head and stretched, shifting her shoulders as her back cracked. "Anyways. How long were you planning to stay for this?"

Callum shrugged as he pulled out his sketchbook, flipping it open to a clean page. "Maybe an hour or two. I have to go to my house to watch Ezran this afternoon."

"Aw, you're going to abandon me with all these jocks?" Claudia complained. She shook her head in mock-disappointment. "And yet you call yourself my friend."

"Hey, you'll still have Rayla for company."

"Please. You know she'd prefer your company over mine."

Callum froze with his charcoal halfway to his sketchbook, Claudia's words hitting him with the weight of a sledgehammer. "I - no," he managed to get out in a weak protest. "I don't think that Rayla's the type to play favorites."

Claudia snickered. "Uh huh. Whatever you say, _prince_."

Callum flushed at her use of Rayla's nickname. "Okay, just because -"

"Ah ah ah, you don't need to feed any stupid excuses to me." Claudia winked at him. "I've got a pretty good idea as to what's brewing between the two of you."

Callum decided that this line of conversation was no longer one he was interested in continuing, and thus he did not reply. But before he could decide what to sketch, Claudia had scooted over closer to him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you again," she began, "but I was wondering if you had any new sketches that I'm allowed to see? It's been a while since we've had a chance to do this!"

It had been a tradition, essentially, since they were little, that Callum would allow Claudia to see select sketches from his book. This tradition had died off a little over the course of the past year, as their college-high school divide had made it much harder for them to meet up consistently. Now, of course, they didn't have that problem.

"Hmm," he mumbled, absentmindedly flipping through his more recent drawings. He hadn't sketched anything with Claudia in mind as of late.

Weird.

"I don't think there's anything," he finally said, giving his friend an apologetic frown. "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, silly." She glanced at his open book, though she respected his artistic privacy and didn't stare. "I'm noticing a lot of pictures of Rayla in there. Found a muse, have you?"

Callum's face reddened for the second time in the past few minutes. "No, Rayla is just... new. And nice to sketch. That's all."

It wasn't a lie. It just wasn't the full truth, either.

"Did I hear my name?"

Callum snapped his book shut as Rayla walked towards himself and Claudia, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

Rayla gasped in mock-offense, placing her hand over her heart. "How come Claudia gets to see your sketches and I don't? I thought we were besties!"

Claudia grinned. "It's my blessing and his curse that we've known each other since we were teeny tiny."

Rayla laughed. "Oh, I see. Of course."

Callum noticed that Rayla had changed into clothing more appropriate for a sports tryout. Her hair was still tied up, and she now wore a deep green exercise tank that he actually recognized to be from Target, paired with purple leggings.

He wasn't sure why he was taking such a detailed note of her appearance. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her dressed for a workout before.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Callum will show you his art someday," Claudia said, pushing her hair back over her shoulder to stop it from falling in front of her face. "Recently, Soren and I have been trying to convince him to participate in one of the school's art showcases. There's one in November that his work could easily be featured in if he would just submit something!"

Rayla's eyes brightened, and she beamed at him. "Oh, Callum, that's awesome!"

"I haven't _agreed_ yet," he pointed out, rolling his charcoal between his thumb and middle finger out of habit. "And they're both assuming that I'll be accepted into the exhibition, no problem. But the school can be pretty elitist about who gets to participate, and since I'm only an art minor -"

"So what?" Claudia demanded. "You're a damn good artist, Callum! If they don't accept your piece, just tell Harrow! He can straighten everything out."

Callum winced at the thought. He didn't like using his dad's position to benefit himself. Someone else, maybe. Even an entire class. But it felt like cheating if it was only for himself.

Rayla must have noticed the doubt flickering in his eyes, because she gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get in on your own merit. I doubt Claudia and Soren would have suggested you enter if they didn't believe it, too."

Callum felt his body relax at her words - he hadn't realized he'd been holding himself so stiffly. Before he could thank her for the encouragement, however, a boy he didn't recognize came over to inform Rayla that warm-ups were about to begin. Rayla nodded and waved goodbye before following the boy to where the team and the coach were waiting.

Claudia seemed to sense that Callum didn't want to continue conversing - she'd always had an uncanny sense for what went unspoken - and instead pulled out her phone to scroll through Instagram.

Callum returned his attention to his sketchbook, though he found himself still unsure of what to draw. Admittedly, he _wanted_ to sketch the football players as they practiced their drills. Or at least one player in particular.

How embarrassing.

He contented himself with sketching the stadium itself. Although it was the middle of the day, there were still several interesting angles of light breaking through the arched seating that were good for him to practice. He had mentioned before to Soren the parallels between this stadium and the Roman Colosseum, which Soren had - almost surprisingly - been intrigued by. They'd ended up talking about Ancient Rome for nearly an hour before they'd both had to leave for class.

Huh. That could actually make for an interesting piece.

The stadium and the Colosseum, that was. Not their conversation.

It would be a... mashup, of sorts. A little difficult to put together, but Callum didn't mind a challenge. Especially when it involved classical architecture.

He began developing his idea, trying to be forgiving with himself, as he ended up having to start over a few times because he didn't like the angle he'd chosen. He pulled up a picture of the Colosseum on his phone, too, though he doubted he'd get that far in the picture during the few hours he'd be here at the tryouts.

He did glance up at the ongoing practice, every now and then. Claudia had switched from Instagram to Tumblr, sometimes showing him a funny post or video, which was admittedly a good way for him to take a break from drawing and instead stretch his hand to prevent it from cramping.

Tryouts seemed to be going well. At least, as far as Callum could tell. Which wasn't saying much. They ran forward, they pushed some stuff, they threw and caught footballs - seemed... successful, he guessed?

It was difficult to differentiate Rayla from the other players once they were all adorned in helmets, shoulder pads, and jerseys, but presumably the person who stopped periodically between events to wave or give a thumbs up in his general direction was her. He knew it wasn't Soren only because Soren was helping direct the tryouts with his coach.

Soren had actually explained to him the other day that these tryouts were unusual, because the team was typically complete as could be by the end of the summer. Unfortunately, Soren had admitted, when both the first- and second-string wide receivers were out for the season with injuries and seven other players had transferred, they'd had no choice but to open tryouts and additional signings to attempt to fill in the holes of the team.

Callum had done a lot of nodding and only a little bit of understanding in that particular conversation.

"Ooh, Callum!" Claudia exclaimed, startling him and nearly causing him to jerk his charcoal across his sketchbook. "Rayla's up!"

Callum blinked, bringing his attention to the field. Sure enough, Rayla was standing out near the middle, with another player in front of her. Soren was further back behind the both of them.

"They're about to run a play with man-to-man coverage from the looks of it," Claudia explained, for which Callum was grateful. "Essentially, they're testing her ability to break away from the corner to catch the ball. Or they could be testing her ability to catch the ball while someone is all up in her face and probably trash-talking, too, because college students are immature like that."

"Rayla, all I want you to do is catch the ball and run for the end zone," someone, probably the coach, called out to her. "There's no pressure to be perfect on the first try."

Callum could picture the competitive glint in Rayla's eyes, though he was too far away to see it. She'd do it perfectly on her first try, no doubt.

Soren shouted something, then the ball was thrown - snapped? - to him. Rayla started running, shifting side to side before racing to the defender's right and easily surpassing him.

Wow. She really was insanely fast.

Soren threw the football in a neat arc that almost seemed to float down before landing in Rayla's arms. She hadn't even turned around to catch it, instead simply glancing behind her. From there, she was gone - down the field and into the end zone.

"Whoo! Go Rayla!" Claudia cheered, jumping to her feet and clapping.

Callum, who was less predisposed to screaming in excitement, instead did his best to make eye contact with their friend and give her a thumbs up.

He wasn't sure if she noticed. Hopefully she had.

The coach seemed simultaneously stunned and impressed by Rayla's abilities, at least as far as Callum could tell from where he was sitting.

He found his attention returning to his sketch as other players began taking their turns to run and catch the ball. The only thing he vaguely noticed was that none seemed to be as good as Rayla, though maybe he was just biased.

Crap. He'd done the shading on that entrance all wrong. The light was breaking at the wrong angle.

Ugh. The labors of being an artist.

He really didn't want to start over again, though. He could just shade everything from that angle. No one else would have to know about his mistake.

But _he _would know. And therein lay the problem.

"Hello? Earth to Callum?"

He jumped at the voice, instinctively covering his sketchbook to hide it from prying eyes. He turned to his left, expecting to see Claudia, only to find that Rayla had replaced her sitting next to him.

She laughed at his startled reaction. "My bad. Didn't mean to scare you."

"You're fine," Callum replied, putting away his sketchbook. Then he frowned. "Wait, are your tryouts done already?" If they were, they had not lasted nearly as long as he'd expected.

"Nah," Rayla said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We're taking a water break. Ten minutes." She tapped her watch, which Callum hadn't noticed she was wearing. It looked... kind of like an off-brand FitBit. "Honestly, I thought you'd be gone by now."

He froze. "Wait, what time is it?"

"A little after three."

Callum cursed, jumping to his feet and making sure his phone was still tucked into his pocket. "Yeah, I probably should have left ten minutes ago."

Rayla chuckled as she, too, stood up. "You don't need to hang around on my account. I'll text you if anything exciting happens."

Callum hesitated. He didn't _want_ to leave. He needed to, sure, but he was sorely tempted to accept the lecture he'd inevitably get from his dad and just stay. "I -"

"Hey, Rayla!"

Great. Of course he'd be interrupted by Felix.

Callum really had no idea why he disliked Felix. The only conclusion he'd come to so far was bad vibes, which unfortunately was a conclusion that lacked concrete evidence. Ms. Patricia, his English teacher, would have been sorely disappointed.

"I wanted to tell you before I forgot," Felix said, stopping in front of Rayla and pushing his curls out of his face in a way that left a bad taste in Callum's mouth. "I'm having a costume party at my house in two weeks. It's like the day before the first game of the season. You know. If you want to come."

Rayla shrugged. "We'll have to see." She then looped her arm through Callum's, pulling him close to her side. "First condition: are Callum and Claudia invited?"

"Of course," Felix replied without missing a beat. "What's your second condition?"

Rayla shrugged again. "Haven't thought of it yet. I'll text you when I do."

Felix laughed. "Gotcha. Hope to see you guys there!"

Rayla released Callum's arm as Felix left. "Sorry about that. I just didn't want you and Claudia to be left out."

Callum opened his mouth to thank her and to insist that her actions weren't really necessary because he didn't care if he was invited or not, but Rayla placed her finger on his lips to silence him.

"Hush and get going! I don't want Professor Harrow to have my head for making you late!"

Callum hesitated again, but finally relented, knowing full well that he couldn't win against her. He said a quick goodbye before heading back to his car, his lips still tingling from where her finger had been. As he drove away, his mind fixated on a single thought.

_Damn. Now I have to go to a party._

xXxXxXx

**There's a lot going on right now because of COVID-19, and I hope by the end of the month I'll know more about when school will start again, what's going on with AP exams, etc. Thank you all for your patience, and thank you so much for reading!**


	7. chocolate and camaraderie

**Well, I'm still quarantined. I managed to find some time amidst all my AP prep to get in a little writing, and honestly it was a much-needed break. Enjoy the chapter!**

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Callum had expected his Saturday to be relatively calm. He had no weekend classes and he'd already completed his assignments that were due the following week. Thus, his only plans had been to relax, which was why he was sitting at his desk with his headphones in and his sketchbook laid out in front of him. He was currently working on his stadium-colosseum piece, which he'd yet to think of a proper title for.

In his defense, titles were a problem for when the picture was complete.

Thus, Callum had not expected anyone to text him, much less show up at his dorm, which was why he at first did not notice his phone buzz nor did he hear people banging on his door.

_Rayla: Callum_

_Rayla: Caaallum_

_Rayla: Callum_

_Rayla: Open up_

_Claudia: can you not hear us knocking? we have big news! (also rayla might break down the door if you don't hurry)_

_Soren: LET US IN_

Three different people. Three different text threads. Three different ways of letting him know they were all, presumably, waiting not-very-patiently outside of his dorm.

It seemed his relaxation period would have to be postponed.

Callum turned off his music and took out his headphones, making sure to coil them neatly and drop them into a small cup on his desk before he headed to the door of his dorm. "Alright, alright," he called as he unlocked it and pulled it open. "I'm here. You can all -"

He was cut off by three people rushing inside, with one person in particular knocking the air out of his lungs as they crushed him in a tight hug.

"R-Rayla?" he stammered, recognizing her white hair in a matter of seconds. He tried and failed to subtly take in a deep breath and restore oxygen to his lungs before returning her hug, though he had no idea as to what had brought on her sudden affection. Not that he was complaining. "Um... What's going on?"

Rayla pulled out of the hug and beamed at him, her hands remaining atop his shoulders. "I'm on the team!"

Callum blinked. "You're - what?"

Rayla rolled her eyes in mock-exasperation, the smile that stayed on her face betraying her true excitement. "The football team, dummy! I'm a wide receiver!"

It took another moment for her words to register in his brain. When they did, his eyes widened. "Rayla, that's so awesome!" He then proceeded to pull her into another hug, wrapping his arms around her lower back. "I'm so happy for you!" He knew how much the football team meant to her, and he did his best to convey that sentiment by letting the hug linger.

Definitely had nothing to do with his personal enjoyment of the hug.

"Callum, you are looking at KSU's finest wide receiver in history," Soren said proudly, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. "She's going to be amazing."

"You should have seen her at tryouts yesterday after you left," Claudia gushed. "She straight up _hurdled_ a corner! No defender is going to stand a chance against her."

Callum pulled out of the hug, aware of the admiration that had to be shining in his eyes. "Wow," he said, unable to keep the awe out of his voice. His hands slipped perfectly into Rayla's. "That's incredible."

Rayla's face reddened at his praise. "It wasn't _that_ impressive," she mumbled. "The defender dove for my feet instead of trying to properly tackle me. He should have expected me to jump."

Callum laughed, giving her hands a slight squeeze. "Still sounds pretty epic to me."

They stared at each other for a moment, neither speaking. They didn't step away from each other until Claudia cleared her throat in an overly-dramatic fashion, a smirk dancing on her lips as they hastily jumped apart. "_Anyways_," she said pointedly, "the reason we crashed your dorm was to celebrate! An exciting accomplishment like this cannot go, er… uncelebrated!"

"We've gotta take Rayla to Aimee's Creamery," Soren added. "Yes, I'll admit that we may be partially using her achievement as an excuse to eat the best ice cream at KSU. But only partially."

Callum laughed. "I guess that's fair." Aimee's Creamery really was amazing. "Who's driving?"

"That would be me," Soren replied, spinning his keys around his finger and smirking. "Our dad has the other car, and Claudia and I did rock, paper, scissors for today."

"He cheated," Claudia grumbled.

"Clauds, there is no such thing as cheating in rock, paper, scissors!"

Claudia didn't appear convinced. The siblings' squabble earned laughter from Callum and Rayla as Callum grabbed his satchel, sticking his phone and sketchbook into it before they left his dorm.

The drive to the ice cream parlor was short, as it was only a few streets away from the campus dorms. Callum figured the only reason they'd bothered to drive was because the day felt a hundred times hotter than usual. Which also explained the desire for ice cream.

"So what kind of ice cream do you like?" Claudia asked Rayla as they walked into the parlor. "Soren and I are both chocolate fanatics."

"Oh, I'm the world's biggest fan of moonberry," Rayla replied, her eyes practically sparkling at the thought. Then she paused. "Er, that's not just a Xadian flavor, is it?"

"It might be," Claudia said apologetically. "I don't think I've ever heard of it before."

"They do have mixed berry smoothies," Callum offered as the four got in line. "I like those. Oh, and there's all kinds of fruit-flavored sherbet and sorbet that you can mix, too."

"Hmm," Rayla said, pulling her wallet out of her back pocket and flipping through her cash. "I only have like $5." She turned to face Callum. "Do you want to order a large berry-whatever smoothie and split it?"

"Sure," Callum agreed, very deliberately ignoring Claudia's not-at-all-subtle wink and little giggle. "Saving money is always great." College was all about making ends meet.

Soren and Claudia both ended up getting chocolate, though Soren got his in a waffle cone and Claudia got hers in a cup with rainbow sprinkles. Callum ordered his and Rayla's smoothie, using three of his ones and two of Rayla's to pay. He gave the change and another of Rayla's ones to the cashier to put into the tip jar.

The cashier had an... intriguing appearance, to say the least. The roots of her hair were dark, and the rest was dyed a bright cyan. One of her eyes was sort of hazel, and the other blue. What was most interesting about her, however, was the oddly familiar smirk on her face as she handed him the tall glass of smoothie.

"So..." she drawled with a thick, Australian-esque accent as Callum accepted the cup. "Do you guys need _two_ straws, or just _one_?"

Callum felt the blood rush to his face and something akin to a squeak escaped his lips. "T-Two!" he stammered, hastily glancing at Rayla. "Because if it was just one that would - that would mean -"

Rayla then saved him from having to finish his trainwreck of a sentence. "Two straws, thank you," she interrupted stiffly, taking them out of the cashier's hand before turning on her heel and marching to the booth where Soren and Claudia were waiting. Her face was as red as his own.

Callum started to say something else to the cashier, but decided against it, instead following Rayla to their seats.

"Not a word," Rayla muttered, glaring at the siblings as she sat down across from Soren. "Not. A. Word."

Callum said nothing as he slid next to her, simply hoping that his blush had faded at least to where he didn't look like a sunburnt lobster.

"Wasn't going to say anything," Claudia replied airily, though she was clearly trying not to laugh as she ate a spoonful of her ice cream.

Soren, for his part, did not at all seem to care about whatever unspoken conversation they were all having. He was content with his cone, chocolate already dripping down his chin.

Callum let Rayla take the first few sips of their smoothie, mostly because he didn't want to lean down at the same time as her and bonk their heads together. _Lady and the Tramp_ had always been unrealistic to him in that aspect.

Rayla and Claudia started to chat about a calculus exam they had later that week, a conversation that mostly involved Claudia freaking out and Rayla reminding her that it was a group exam anyways and that she'd be fine.

Callum asked Soren _one_ question about football and within minutes was being lectured about the entire NFL franchise. It wasn't too bad, really. Soren broke down his explanations and used non-sports terminology when possible, which helped Callum understand almost everything said. It was certainly more helpful than Harrow's explanations had ever been, if they could even be called "explanations". His stepfather was knowledgeable about many things, but football was apparently not one of them.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Claudia exclaimed, drawing the table's attention to her. "I want us all to coordinate for what's-his-name's costume party!"

Callum winced. "Are we _really_ going to that?"

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Yes, we are, Callum. We have to introduce Rayla into KSU's party scene somehow, and I think this will be a pretty tame one to start with that we can all have at least a little fun at."

"Yeah, Felix isn't the craziest guy at this school," Soren agreed. "I say there's a 50/50 chance his parents will be at the party, since he's having it at their house. And he's not the kind of person to serve alcohol, even though people will probably bring some anyways."

Callum groaned, liking neither the idea of hanging around Felix nor going to a party, though he still couldn't piece together what made him dislike Felix so much. He was actually a really nice guy who seemed to want the best for his friends. Including Rayla. "That still doesn't make me want to go."

"Look, you don't have to go with us," Rayla began, "but... I would very much appreciate it if you did."

Callum knew he couldn't say no to Rayla. It was physically impossible for _anyone_ to say to Rayla. "Fine. But just know that I'll be holding you accountable for every second of my misery."

"Aw, he can't say no to you," Claudia cooed. "Isn't that cute?"

"Oh, shut up," he grumbled, rolling his eyes and trying to pretend that he hadn't been thinking exactly that. He didn't appreciate it when Claudia read his mind.

"Anyways," Soren interrupted, oblivious to Callum's embarrassment, "what were you saying about coordinating costumes, Clauds? I'd like to know what your idea is before I agree to anything."

"Fair enough." Claudia took another bite of her ice cream before continuing, sprinkles falling off the edge of her spoon as she did so. "I want to do a sort of fantasy theme. Witches, warlocks, fairies - all that jazz. I think we would look cool but it's also a broad spectrum so we can all find something we like."

"Ooh, nice! I love it!" Rayla said excitedly, clapping her hands together. "I'm going to be an elf. It's decided. None of you can stop me."

Callum pondered the idea. He liked the theme, for sure, but that didn't mean he knew what he himself could dress as. Wizards were too pompous, fairies required more effort than he was willing to put in, and Rayla had already chosen to be an elf.

Hmm. Maybe he could be a mage, of some sort? He and Ezran had often pretended to be wizard apprentices when they were younger, so -

"I want to be a mage!" Claudia announced, tapping the bottom of her spoon to the table to emphasize her claim. "Magic is amazing, and definitely real. You just have to squeeze it out of nature to find it."

Callum frowned. "Aw. I was going to be a mage." He sighed dramatically. "I'm truly devastated by this turn of events. I don't think our friendship will last."

Claudia laughed. "You can be so extra, Callum. How about this - I'll be a _dark_ mage. Does that work?"

Callum pretended to thoroughly contemplate her suggestion. "I suppose I can work with that."

"Oh, but Callum, you could be a _prince_," Rayla teased, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "I could be your... well, not a knight. An elf... assassin... bodyguard?"

Callum snickered. "That's the alternative you thought of to being a knight?"

"Yes. Take it or leave it."

Callum grinned at her, amused and intrigued to see how her costume was going to play out. "You've got a deal. I'll be a prince. Who also happens to be a mage."

"If you're going to be a prince, then I want to be head of the Royal Guard," Soren interjected. "That way I can carry around a sword without getting any weird looks."

"And if I'm an assassin, I can carry around my blades, too," Rayla added, beaming. "Awesome."

"To be fair, there's nothing stopping you guys from carrying around swords and blades every day," Claudia pointed out.

Callum raised an eyebrow at her comment. "What about campus law?"

Rayla waved her hand dismissively. "You know. _Besides_ that."

"Felix's house is off-campus, too," Soren added cheerily. "So I bet it's slightly less illegal."

This conversation had spiraled, and Callum wasn't sure where it was headed.

Claudia seemed to notice, though, and she promptly steered things back to their costume-planning. "Anyways. I was thinking we all buy our stuff separately and then get ready in my dorm. That way it's a surprise what our costumes look like, but we'll still know what we're all wearing _before_ we go to the party."

"We are going to have a long discussion later about where I should shop," Rayla said to her, causing Claudia to laugh before readily agreeing to help.

It was moments like this where Callum was reminded of how grateful he was to have the friends like he did. Cliché? Obviously. But it was true nonetheless. It really sucked that Soren would be graduating and that Rayla would be returning to Xadia at the end of the school year.

As a kid, he'd had a tendency to overthink and panic about the future. His mother had always reminded him to appreciate the present, because the future could wait. The future will become the present, she'd told him, which was why there was no point in worrying over the future. And maybe she'd been right.

Well, the immediate future was still something he needed to be concerned with. He'd have to hit up some thrift stores soon to start putting together his costume.

Claudia's phone started to ring, interrupting the conversation between herself and Rayla. She rolled her eyes when she saw the caller ID. "Ugh. My dad." Then she picked up. "Hello?" She took a bite of her ice cream as her dad responded. "No, I'm with Soren, Callum, and Rayla. We're at Aimee's. The ice cream place." A pause. "Yes, Rayla's the Xadian student." She sighed, placing her spoon on a napkin and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Dad, you know I love you and that I'd probably kill a man for you, but I don't appreciate you criticizing Soren and I's company." Another pause. "Yeah, we can leave. Mhm. See you in a bit." She hung up, tucking her phone into her pocket. "Come on, Soren. Dad needs our help getting ingredients for some weird dish he's trying to put together."

Callum never wanted to say anything about it, but he had always found it rather strange that Viren's reaction to his midlife crisis had been attempting to become a chef. Worse, it wasn't even working out for the poor guy.

Claudia placed her napkin in her now-empty ice cream cup. "Sorry, guys. We have to leave."

"Wait, how are they going to get home?" Soren asked after he finished off his cone. "We drove them here, remember?"

Claudia mumbled a curse under her breath. "Right. Er, well -"

Callum waved his hand dismissively. "We'll walk. It's not far, and I know the way." Perks of being Harrow's kid meant he'd known his way around campus long before he'd started attending KSU.

Claudia still appeared hesitant. "Are you sure? Because -"

Rayla gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I know what it's like to always be called back home to help your dad. Callum and I will be fine."

Claudia bit her lip. "Well... Alright. Text me when you get to the dorm. See you guys tomorrow!"

The siblings tidied up their side of the booth before leaving the ice cream parlor. Callum and Rayla now sat together in silence.

"So..." Rayla began, clearly searching for an icebreaker. "Any updates on you and Claudia?"

Callum nearly choked on the sip of the smoothie he was taking. He coughed before sputtering, "I - she's - no. No. Nothing happening, nothing going on."

Rayla raised an eyebrow, evidently weirded out by the hastiness and the intensity of his response. "Okay...?"

Callum tried to find the right words. Which was difficult, because he'd never been good with words. "It's just - I've liked Claudia since I was little." Wow, he was already regretting this explanation. "So maybe it's only a silly crush-thing. And I don't really like her. Like, like-like her. Possibly. I don't - I don't know."

Rayla rolled her eyes and took a sip of the smoothie, though an amused smile was dancing on her lips. "You know, we don't need to continue this conversation. Something tells me that crushes aren't your forte."

Callum groaned. "That obvious?"

"Mhm."

"Right." Callum managed a laugh. "Okay, subject change." He pushed his hair out of his face. "So I understand that you got onto the football team, but are you going to be able to start playing with them when the season starts?"

Rayla pursed her lips, swirling her straw around in their shared smoothie. "Hopefully," she finally said. "The coach told me that he's impressed with my abilities, but he knows that some fans won't be happy because... You know. I'm Xadian."

"That's so stupid," Callum grumbled. "It shouldn't matter that you're Xadian! You're a talented player and should be treated like anyone else on the team."

Rayla chuckled. "If only everyone saw it like that." She shrugged. "But I should be able to play. My name might not be on a jersey, or it might be an abbreviated form, but I'm a solid 90% sure I'll be out on the field. I have to go to practice starting Monday either way, so..."

Callum tilted his head to the side. "Do you have practice every day?"

"It depends on the game and what the coach has going on that week, but yeah. Basically every day." She smirked at him and tapped his nose. "But never fear. We can still do homework together - I was granted permission to leave an hour early every Wednesday."

Callum flushed. That hadn't been what he was thinking about, but now that she'd mentioned it, he was happier than he had any right to be that their weekly homework meetings would not have to end.

"Oi."

The two turned to see that the cashier from earlier had slid into the seat across from them. She held up her hands in surrender as Rayla glared at her. "I just wanted to apologize for teasing you guys earlier. My manager chews me out every other day for that kind of stuff. I should probably take the hint, but..." She shrugged, her bi-colored eyes twinkling with mischief. "Gotta liven up this job somehow."

"Wow," Rayla said dryly. "You know, if you were trying to apologize with that, I gotta say you did a terrible job. Care to leave now?"

"That's not the only reason I came over," the girl protested. "But honest - I _am_ sorry. I didn't mean to make either of you uncomfortable."

Callum was honestly more uncomfortable that she'd come over and sat in their booth. He read her name tag: Nyx.

"I'm a grad student here," Nyx continued. "And you - you're the Xadian student, right?"

"Oh, how'd you guess?" Rayla snapped. "My accent, or the way people glare at me wherever I go?"

Nyx winced. "Touchy subject. My bad. Though the answer is that I overheard the two of you talking."

Rayla rolled her eyes. "An eavesdropper. Great."

"I can see I'm digging my own grave here. But the reason I ask is because _I'm_ Xadian! Or, well, partially. My grandfather was a Skywing. I almost didn't get accepted to the school because of that fact."

Rayla raised an eyebrow. "And why should I believe you?"

Nyx clicked her tongue. "Damn, you're hard to persuade. Okay." She reached around her chest to tap her left shoulder blade. "Now, I'm not gonna take my shirt off, but I've got the Skywing birthmark. Y'know - the one that looks like a set of wings?"

Rayla hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. I'll believe you. For now."

Callum had only understood one, maybe two words of their conversation. Skywing? Wing-shaped birthmarks? What? He was going to have to ask Rayla about Xadia later.

"I'm going to guess that you're a Moonshadow," Nyx said, grinning at her. "You've got very elegant vibes about you - like the moon."

Rayla snorted. "Yeah, but I don't know if that's the way most people come about that conclusion."

"Can't be too bad if I was right."

"Nyx!" someone called from behind the counter. "Get back over here! You know your shift doesn't end for another hour!"

"There's literally no one in line," the cashier grumbled. Then she sighed. "Well, duty calls." She reached into the front pocket of her apron and pulled out a pen and a scrap of paper before scribbling a phone number onto it. "If you ever need someone to talk to that isn't 100% Katolian, feel free to give me a call. Or just come here. 9 times out of 10 I'm the one working the register."

Rayla accepted the paper, a small but genuine smile growing on her lips. "I'll think about it. But thank you."

Nyx shrugged. "Well, that's better than 'no'."

"Nyx! Now!"

She sighed. "Alright. Toodles, you two. Hope you work out your unresolved romantic tension." With that, she disappeared into the back of the parlor.

Callum knew his face was burning, and he found himself unable to make eye contact with Rayla.

"On second thought," he heard her growl, "I don't think I'll be calling her anytime soon."

A subject change was needed. A subject change was needed. A subject change was - "So," he said, wincing as his voice cracked. He cleared his throat before continuing. "What were you talking about with Xadia? Skywings and Moonshadows and... other stuff?"

Rayla's eyes lit up at the mention of Xadia, successfully distracting her from Nyx's unnecessary remark and sending a warm, fuzzy feeling through Callum's chest. "Okay. I don't know if you've picked up on this yet, but Xadia is kind of steeped in tradition. Some of it is super annoying and some of it is desperately boring, but other parts are very, very cool."

Callum laughed. "Alright. Tell me more."

"A long time ago, probably at the dawn of humanity or whatever, Xadia was ruled, in a sense, by six families. Clans might be a more accurate term. The Moonshadows, Skywings, Tidebounds, Earthbloods, Sunfires, and Startouches."

"Those are way cooler names than anything we have here," Callum said, resting his hand on his chin. He also loved the elemental connection each one had, though he felt that was a little too obvious to point out.

Rayla laughed. "I know, right?" She paused. "Actually, it'd be more accurate to say that these clans ruled themselves, and then were ruled _over _by the most powerful family - the Draconia. Our current monarch, Queen Zubeia, is actually descended from the original Draconia line."

"As monarchs tend to be."

Rayla lightly shoved him, smiling. "I get it, smartypants. You know stuff." She tucked her hair behind her ears. "Anyways, although the Draconia clan had - has - official rule of the country, each clan has always been relatively autonomous in taking care of their own affairs. And for decades, probably hundreds of years, these families didn't... intermingle."

Callum snorted at her choice of words. "Right. No mingling. Got it."

She swatted his arm, which stung more than he'd care to admit. "Stop laughing! You were the one who wanted to know more!"

"Okay, okay. My bad."

"_Anyways_. For a long time, like I said, there was no mingling between families. A lot of Xadians still pride themselves in clan 'purity', which is one reason they don't like Katolians." She winced. "Sorry. A bit callous, now that I think about it."

Callum shrugged. "There's bad blood on both sides of the border. Don't apologize for what you can't control."

Rayla's face turned pink. "Yeah." She coughed. "But after a while, people realized that genetically-speaking, some mingling was required. According to my 11th grade history class, there were centuries dedicated to widening the gene pool and causing population booms, if you catch my drift."

He did catch her drift.

"But even today there are technically still separate clans. And since now there's tens of millions of people in each clan, you can marry someone within your clan and not be related to them at all." She paused. "I mean, you could go back like 16 generations to see - er, never mind. Not my point." She twisted a free strand of hair around her middle finger. "I'm in the Moonshadow clan, and so are Runaan and Ethari, but I'm not actually related to them at all."

Callum nodded, soaking up the information he'd been given like a sponge. God, what a terrible but oh-so-accurate simile. "That's honestly really cool. Way more interesting than our 'take the last name of your father' thing." He paused, frowning. "So, do they still allow marriage of people from different clans?"

"Eh." Rayla made a so-so gesture with her hand. "It depends. They've gotten a lot more tolerant in the past century or so, but there are still people who don't agree with it. Queen Zubeia is the most progressive royal we've had in a while. Her husband, King Avizandum, was a little more... conservative. Highkey a nationalist, but he didn't like to be called that."

Callum sighed, unable to keep the amazement out of his voice. "It's so crazy how different Xadia and Katolis turned out, despite that we've basically always shared a border."

Rayla shrugged. "Millenia of war and xenophobia tend to do that."

Callum snorted. "Don't I know it." He turned his head slightly in order to smile at his friend. "But at least we get along just fine."

"Only because I'm as charming as I am," Rayla said, smirking. "I don't mean to brag, but you'd be lost without me."

Callum thought about retorting with a sassy response, but upon failing to think of one, he decided to be genuine. "Yeah." He sat up, now able to look at her directly - or almost so. "I would be."

Rayla's face turned red at his words. "Well you didn't have to go and be honest with me, you big dummy."

"But you're the only person I'm ever honest with!"

"You're such a liar. What about Ezran?"

Callum scrunched up his nose as he contemplated her point. "Maybe," he finally said. "Not sure."

"You're just saying that because you don't want me to be right."

"Psh, _no_."

Rayla laughed and shoved him, but instead of moving away when he sat back up, she rested her head on his shoulder. "Hush," she said before he could get a word out. "I'm going to take a nap."

Callum found himself unable to protest. Not that he minded.

Huh. He really couldn't say no to Rayla.

xXxXxXx

**Shameless fluff. I'm guilty as charged. (Tbh, though, the highlight of this chapter for me was writing Nyx. Oh, she is so much fun.) Thank you for reading!**


	8. costumes and pendants and swords oh my!

**I hope everyone is staying safe during this pandemic! Remember to practice social distancing and avoid leaving your house unless absolutely necessary; if you do have to leave, wear a mask! This chapter was fun to write and I hope you enjoy. :)**

**WARNING: There is a very, very brief reference to sexual content near the end of this chapter; it is ****_not_**** explicit but if you are sensitive to such content please be cautious.**

xXxXxXx

"Rayla, can you let them in?" Claudia's voice was muffled through the closed door of her dorm. "I'm in the middle of foiling my hair."

What an... odd activity to be engaged in. Callum didn't hear anyone answer, but a few seconds later the door swung open.

"Aw, if it isn't my two favorite losers," Rayla teased, a smirk dancing on her lips as she leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest. "A prince and his royal guard."

"Excuse you, but I'm not just any prince! I am a _mage_," Callum protested in mock-offense as Rayla stepped aside to allow himself and Soren to enter.

Rayla rolled her eyes. "No need to shout at me, you big dummy." She closed the door before throwing him a sly wink. "No one likes a loud mage."

Callum decided the most appropriate response to her comment was to remain silent and not respond at all while pretending his face wasn't any more red than usual.

"Alright," Claudia said as she stepped out of the bathroom with silver foil holding a section of her hair that framed her face, somehow taking control of both the room and the conversation in only one word. "Here's the game plan, ladies and Rayla." That earned a snort from her brother. "Callum and Soren, you guys can change in the bedroom, since Rayla and I currently have the bathroom on lockdown."

"No, _you_ have the bathroom on lockdown," Rayla said with an amused grin. "I'm just there in the background, dancing to ABBA."

"No complaining, missy - I left you eight inches of counter space, just like we agreed." Claudia returned her attention to Callum and Soren. "Once we're ready, we'll help you... fine tune your costumes, because Lord knows you probably need the assistance."

Although Claudia was pointing at the both of them, Callum had a gut feeling her comment was directed specifically to him. And this feeling was more justified than not, because he did have an embarrassing track record of basically... tagging along while Ezran, Claudia, and Soren went all out with costumes for Halloween.

Well, embarrassing as it was to admit it, this time really wasn't going to be terribly different. Not that he hadn't put effort in, because he had - which was a first - but both his time and his budget were limited. He would normally have asked Claudia for help beforehand, but since she was insistent they keep their costumes secret from each other until the day of the party, there wasn't much he could do on that front.

But, to give himself some credit, his costume was a _little_ better than usual. He'd genuinely put thought into most of his outfit.

Upon not receiving any questions from them, Claudia and Rayla locked themselves in the bathroom, now blasting something that sounded suspiciously like "Bohemian Rhapsody".

Soren started playing what Callum recognized to be the Skyrim soundtrack in response. Siblings were weird.

(Right. Because he and Ezran definitely weren't weird.)

Callum shut the bedroom door before he started changing. His costume consisted of a pretty fancy sleeveless red top with shiny gold thread, and his trusty red scarf on top. He planned to keep his jacket with him in case he got cold. He was wearing cargo pants only because he'd wanted to stuff his pockets with neat little trinkets, which he'd done. Mostly.

One of those trinkets was a small bottle of silver-blue paint and a brush. Upon retrieving those from the pocket on the side of his left thigh, Callum positioned himself in front of the mirror in the bedroom and carefully began to paint symbols on his arms.

"Oh, I dig that," Soren said when he noticed what Callum was doing, though Callum couldn't help but cringe at his friend's older slang. "Do those symbols mean anything?"

"Well, according to the Internet, they're ancient Draconic," he explained. "Apparently it used to be the universal language of Xadia before the clans split up into the six groups they are now. Fun fact: ancient Draconic has many similarities in pronunciation to Latin, though it has a completely different alphabet. Even Xadia couldn't escape Roman influence."

Soren laughed. "Sounds about right. So... what do those words mean, then?"

"Manus, pluma, volantis," Callum read, the words feeling surprisingly natural on his tongue. "A loose translation is 'hand, wing, flying'." He paused before adding, "A _very_ loose translation. I've decided to pretend it's some kind of flying spell, which is why I painted it on my arms." And also because his arms were the only place he could paint it where it wouldn't look terrible.

Soren whistled. "That's pretty cool." He then returned his attention to his own costume, carefully pulling what looked to be a chestplate over his head.

Callum finished up the final symbol on his arm before wiping up the paintbrush with a tissue to the best of his ability and returning both it and the closed container of paint to his pocket. He then retrieved a gold crown from his satchel. He was quite proud of how earlier that day he had successfully convinced Ezran to let him borrow this circlet, which Harrow had gifted his brother last Halloween. Ezran had laughed when Callum tried it on, not because it looked bad, but because the only reason it fit, quote, "your giant head", was because it had to be big enough to fit over Ezran's hair.

Callum knew Ezran was right - well, maybe not about the size of his head - but that fact had not stopped him from chasing his little brother around the house for practically a half hour in retaliation.

"That crown looks good on you," Soren commented as he adjusted the strap on the side of his chestplate to fit him better. "Makes you look like less of a freshman."

"Oh, ha ha," Callum said, rolling his eyes. He paused. "Thanks."

Soren chuckled. "You're welcome."

Callum put his satchel back on across his body, being careful not to brush the still-drying paint on his arms. His sketchbook had been dubbed a spellbook for that night only. He noticed in the mirror that Soren had remained true to his word and gotten a sword to complete his royal guard costume. For a plastic sword, Callum had to admit that it looked pretty real.

(He didn't really want to consider the possibility that it might be.)

"I hope you know that Claudia isn't going to be pleased with your costume," Soren pointed out, smirking as he crossed his arms over his chest. "There's a 90% chance she's going to strangle you, and a 50/50 chance that she'll succeed."

"But I actually tried this year!" Callum protested. He hesitated before correcting himself. "Well, comparatively."

Soren snorted. "That's what I thought."

Callum sighed as he pulled on a pair of fingerless gloves that he'd almost forgotten in his bag. "Yeah, I know. Maybe she'll have mercy because she knows I'm an unwilling attendee of this party?"

"Is it too pessimistic to say that I'm doubtful?"

Callum opened his mouth to answer, but before he could get a word out he was interrupted by an almost unfortunately familiar voice.

"Callum! Are you kidding me?"

Yeah, no mercy.

Claudia facepalmed, an action he hadn't seen her perform since 9th grade. He felt a little bad that he was the one to drive her to such a low.

"You are so lucky I expected you to half-ass this," she said. "Come here."

"But I didn't half-ass it!" he protested as he followed her back into the main room. "I just don't have the same budget or the overly-intense dedication that you do." And he also hadn't gone shopping until two days before, but she didn't need to know that."

He had to admit that Claudia's costume looked awesome. She was in a floor-length black gown with gold and white thread decorating the bodice, with a folded white section falling down the middle of the dress, just below her waist. The feathery-looking shoulder pads were an... interesting choice. A choice he could respect because of its boldness, if nothing else. The tinfoil in her hair had been removed to reveal a white streak that neatly framed the left side of her face.

She didn't just look like a dark mage - she looked like a _powerful_ dark mage.

"Here," she said, opening a closet and grabbing a small crystal orb that she then handed to him. "This is an elemental stone."

"Primal stone!" Rayla called from afar. Probably the bathroom.

"Primal stone," Claudia corrected herself, tapping the sphere. "You can pick it to represent whatever element you want. Water, earth, sky, fire - all that jazz."

Callum studied the orb. It looked a bit cloudy inside, plus the markings he'd painted on his arms had to do with the sky and flying, so... "Storm stone."

Claudia laughed. "Oh, you and your unnecessary alliteration. I love it. Storm stone!" She then reached into a pocket on her dress that Callum hadn't realized was there. "Also..." She pulled out a sheet of paper. "Rayla and I - well, mostly Rayla - made a list of some 'spells' that you can whip out at the party for dramatic effect."

Callum accepted the paper, skimming through some of the words. "Fulminis sounds pretty cool," he admitted. "Aspiro, too." He paused. "Er, what language is this?"

"Ancient Draconic, just transliterated to the Latin alphabet," Rayla called, her voice echoing slightly from having to travel through the hall. "Or at least a dialect of it. I only know a few root words, so I had to call Ethari for help - you're welcome."

Her pointed tone indicated that she wanted her efforts recognized, which Callum would have done even without the prodding. "Thank you!" he called back. "And thank Ethari for me, too!"

"Y'know," Soren said, leaning over Callum's shoulder to look at the paper and startling him. "That looks a lot like Latin."

Callum rolled his eyes at his friend's comment, knowing very well Soren had pointed it out only because he himself had done so minutes earlier.

"Oh, shut it," Rayla grumbled. Apparently she'd heard his comment, too. "They're both Indo-European or whatever. Close enough."

"Ooh, and Rayla brought a cool object-thingy for you, too!" Claudia said, snapping her fingers as the thought occurred to her. "Before I forget..." She dragged him back into the bedroom. "Rayla, where'd you put that cube?"

"Should be on my bed!"

"Got it!" She grabbed a small wooden cube off of Rayla's pillow and handed it to Callum. "It was made in Xadia. Each side represents, uh, an element or something -"

"Each side represents one of the primal sources," Rayla interrupted as she entered the bedroom and plucked the cube out of Callum's hands, giving Claudia an amused smile. "It's related to ancient Xadian folklore. Long ago, they believed that each clan had an innate connection to one of these sources. And before you ask, yes, that is why my last name is _Moon_shadow, and no, I don't know what the 'shadow' part is from."

Callum managed to bite back a laugh at her comments. "Right. Got it."

"This cube was actually a gift from my parents. Before they… left," she continued. Her pause was nearly imperceptible, and Callum almost wondered if he'd imagined it. "A little reminder that they'd always be with me, because the primal sources are always around me." She placed the cube in Callum's palm, gently closing his hand around it. "Perfect trinket for a mage."

At first, Callum found himself at a loss for words. Despite having Big Feelings Time all through his childhood, he'd still never been particularly skilled at articulating his emotions. Drawing was easy - talking was hard. "Thank you," he finally managed to say. "This is - this is really kind of you." He offered her a tentative smile, pretending not to notice and definitely not minding that she didn't take her hand off of his.

Claudia cleared her throat in what sounded to Callum like the most obnoxious manner she could muster, causing Rayla to immediately step away from him. "Anyways," she said pointedly, though she had a smug grin on her face, "Rayla, _your _costume looks fantastic!"

Rayla seemed to recover from whatever embarrassment had overcome her, taking another step back in order to spin around on her back heel. "Thank you!" she said, beaming. "It's an old Moonshadow military uniform! Runaan tailored it to fit me back in Silvergrove. I was supposed to wear it for some event-thing he had planned, but my acceptance into this exchange program changed all that and for some reason I chose to pack it before I left."

"Well, I am beyond glad you did, because it looks a-freakin-mazing!" Claudia said excitedly. "At last, someone who puts as much effort into costumes as I do."

Callum himself could hardly believe the level of detail in her costume. The fitted, dark green uniform really did resemble something that could have been worn in the military, and her navy armguards and thigh-high boots really nailed the fantasy aspect. The horns on her head - presumably elven horns, since she was supposed to be an elf - seemed to be carved out of real wood. He wasn't sure how she'd secured them. Not that it mattered - they didn't fall off when she'd spun, which meant they were clearly fine. The purple paint beneath her eyes was a nice touch.

He couldn't help but notice that it matched the streaks in her hair.

"I am Rayla Moonshadow," Rayla said with a cheeky grin and a grand bow, "elven assassin and bodyguard to the royal Prince Callum of Katolis. Anyone who dares to harm him must be prepared to go through my swords." Then, seemingly out of nowhere, she pulled out two switchblades, flipping between a sharp hook and a jagged-edged dagger.

"Whoa," Soren said, taking a step back in a mixture of shock and awe. "Are you even allowed to have those on campus?" His tone was definitely more of admiration than it was reprimanding, not that this was a surprise to anyone.

"Probably not," Rayla admitted, flipping the blades back into their... er, sheaths? "But I listed them as martial arts equipment, and the school has yet to contact me about what exactly I meant by that."

"You know, when you told us that you studied martial arts, I thought you were talking about karate or Tae Kwon Do or something," Callum commented. "Not that you were a literal ninja."

Rayla shrugged, though the pink tint to her face suggested that she was flattered by his words. "Runaan is a firm believer in the importance of versatility in both training and weapons."

"Were you going to bring those as props?" Claudia asked. "Because while I totally support that action, I also don't want you to go to jail. I mean, I'd totally bail you out, but my dad would probably be pissed."

"Oh, no," Rayla said with a laugh, tossing the blades onto her bed. "I don't think these would go over well with the party guests."

"Maybe not, but Felix would love it," Soren pointed out. "He's a sucker for a girl who could cut his head off."

His comment caused everyone in the room to wince.

"Geez, Sor-bear," Claudia groaned, shaking her head. "Next time just say he wants to get pegged."

Soren wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Gross. No thanks."

"How is beheading less gross?!" She held up her hands to stop him from answering. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

Callum, having long since decided to tune out the siblings' disaster of a conversation, noticed that Rayla had a purple pendant hanging on a bronze cord around her neck. Her hand drifted up to hold it every now and then.

"Anyways," Soren said, clapping his hands together. "Are we ready to go? We can all ride in my car - save the environment a little bit."

"Whoo!" Claudia cheered. "Yeah. Go green."

They all left the dorm and piled into Soren's car, Claudia calling shotgun and leaving Callum and Rayla together in the backseat. Maybe it was a coincidence, but knowing Claudia, probably not.

"So," Callum said after a few minutes, scooting closer to his friend so she could hear him over Claudia and Soren's loud, off-key singing of _9 to 5_. "What's your pendant mean?"

Rayla instinctively reached up to touch her necklace. "It's a moonstone. Ethari gave it to me before I came to Katolis." Her fingers traced the edge of the pendant, and she sighed. "I actually... wasn't on the best terms with a lot of people in my town when I left. I think it was his way of reminding me that I would always be welcomed home."

Callum frowned, his brow furrowing in concern. "Why? What happened?"

Rayla shrugged. "Nothing. It doesn't matter now."

"No. Whatever it is made you upset, right? Of course it matters." He paused before hastily adding, "But if you don't want to talk about it I completely understand. I don't want to overstep."

Rayla stared at him for a moment. Then her gaze softened. "You're too sweet for your own good, Callum."

"Someone in our friend group has to be."

She snorted at that. "How humble." Her face returned to its earlier, more solemn expression. "My parents were... bodyguards, in a sense, for these Xadian diplomats that were descended from Draconian royals, if you can believe it. And they... didn't really die in a plane crash." She exhaled heavily. "Long story short, something happened that got those diplomats killed. Something that could have been prevented by my parents, supposedly. But since they weren't able to - since they _failed _to save the diplomats..." She shrugged. "In the eyes of the Moonshadow clan, my parents were traitors. Cowards. Maybe they ran away. Maybe they gave up. Whatever happened, they've been... blacklisted in the Silvergrove. Ghosted. Because of that, most people don't look too favorably on me, either."

"But that's not fair!" Callum couldn't stop himself from blurting out, having to raise his voice to be heard over Soren and Claudia, who had now switched to singing _Something Rotten_'s "God I Hate Shakespeare". "You shouldn't - you _can't _be held accountable for your parents' actions, good or bad!"

Rayla shrugged again. "I told you. Xadia can be a bit old-fashioned."

Callum grabbed Rayla's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "You don't deserve to be treated like that, Rayla. I know you know that, but I'm - I'll keep reminding you. You aren't at fault for something just because you're related to the people involved."

Rayla looked like she wanted to argue with him, but she must have realized that he wasn't going to back down, because she then pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

Callum, initially startled, soon found himself returning her tight embrace. Her hair smelled like lavender - which he only noticed because some of her hair had fallen into his face. He wasn't a creep.

It was a good thing Rayla couldn't read his thoughts. How humiliating.

"Thank you," she murmured. "For listening."

Callum smiled, relaxing into the hug. "You don't have to thank me, Rayla."

She pulled away, and her hands moved to rest on top of his. "I know."

xXxXxXx

**You know what this means - next chapter is the party! It is admittedly a shorter chapter, but it is nonetheless an ****_important_**** chapter. Revelations will occur. That is all I shall say. I hope to post that chapter in two weeks, and then I will be taking a short break because of my AP exams (but there should still be at least one other chapter posted during the month of May). Again, I hope you're all doing well! Thank you so much for reading!**


	9. callum has a midlife crisis at age 18

**At last: the party. Y'all, I ****_really_**** enjoyed writing this chapter. Idk how ****_you guys_**** are gonna feel, but for me it was just such a chef's kiss moment. (Also, I loved reading everyone's thoughts on Felix last chapter; literally nothing brings me more joy than your theories!) I hope you're all staying safe in this time of corona-craziness. Remember: wash your hands and stay 6 ft apart! Enjoy the chapter. :)**

**WARNING: There are descriptions of a panic attack near the end of this chapter; please read with caution if you are sensitive to such.**

xXxXxXx

"Rayla, you look awesome!" Felix exclaimed as he stepped aside to allow the group of four to enter his house, pop music filtering in from the background. "Ooh, let me guess - an elf? Or… maybe a dryad?"

"An elf, obviously," Rayla said, gesturing to her horns and giving Felix an amused smirk. "I thought _these _made that clear."

Honestly, the horns had just made Callum confused about her costume, but he didn't plan on mentioning that. Either way they still looked great.

Felix laughed. "You're right. Do forgive me." He turned to give everyone else a once-over. "Okay. Claudia, you've got some major dark wizard vibes going on."

"Dark _mage_," Claudia corrected, but she was grinning.

"Mage! Got it, got it." He then studied Callum, pursing his lips. "If she's a dark mage, I'd say you're a sort of… light mage, then? But you've also got a crown on, so there's clearly some elements of royalty, too…"

Callum forced himself to smile at Felix, unsure of why the football player's presence had put such a damper on his previously cheerful mood. "I was aiming for a prince who's a sky mage, but 'light mage' works, too."

Felix laughed, pumping his fist. "Alright! I count that as a victory for myself." He then turned to Soren. "Hm. Some sort of warrior guard? You've got a ton of armor on."

"I'm Callum's crowd guard!" Soren said with a grin, shouldering his sword and looking terribly pleased with himself. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Um, _obviously_," Felix said, grinning as wide as Soren. "I'm so glad you guys were all able to make it! Food and drinks are in the kitchen. Jason and Lucas are making sure alcoholic and non-alcoholic stuff is staying separate, so don't accept drinks from anyone other than them. Cool?" Upon them nodding in response, he flashed them a thumbs up before taking Rayla's hand in his, and Callum felt a weird, nauseating sensation start to roll in his stomach when Rayla made no move to pull away. "Okay," he said, beginning to lead her through the main room, "I need to properly introduce you to more of my wrestling friends!"

Rayla rolled her eyes but was smiling, and after giving the remaining trio a quick wave she allowed herself to be dragged off before anyone could get a word out in protest.

Callum was tempted to follow them. In fact, he _really_ wanted to follow them. Just to make sure Rayla wasn't alone, of course. He had no ulterior motives - he was only looking out for his friend. His friend who'd seemed annoyingly happy to go hang out with Felix and his wrestling buddies. That wasn't weird of him, was it? Maybe he needed to -

"Ooh, could I be detecting a hint of jealousy from Callum?" Claudia snickered, not-so-casually elbowing Soren away. Her brother rolled his eyes in response but obliged, disappearing into the crowd of the party.

"No, I -"

"Who am I kidding," Claudia continued, not letting him finish. "There is _way _more than a 'hint' of jealousy here. It's practically a truckload at this point."

Callum's face reddened up to the tips of her ears at her comment. "I am _not_ jealous," he protested, glaring at her. "I just... don't like Felix. For a reason that is totally, completely, entirely unrelated to Rayla."

"Mhm. Sure." Claudia smirked at him. "If that reason is unrelated to Rayla, then what _is_ it related to? Care to share?"

Callum opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish as he struggled to find a response. "I, uh..." He huffed, stomping his foot in what was undoubtedly a childlike manner. "I don't know, Claudia! Do we really need to talk about this right now?"

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Uh, yeah, because if we don't, you're just going to be irritated the whole evening, and I don't want my best friend to be a Debby Downer and ruin the party for everyone. Everyone meaning me, because you already know I'm gonna be glued to your hip tonight. So." She tucked her white streak behind her ear before giving him a knowing look. "Let's try this again. Why don't you like Felix?"

"I -"

"And be _honest_ with me, okay? I'm not going to judge you. You know that."

Callum hesitated, then groaned, dragging his hand down the right side of his face. "He just... He spends so much time with Rayla without any of us around, and she seems to really like spending time with him even outside of football practice, and obviously there's nothing wrong with that, but he's just always so _close_ to her and holding her hand and…" He trailed off, his eyes widening as his brain caught up with the words that had left his mouth. "Oh. Well."

"Did you finally piece it together?" Claudia asked excitedly, beaming as she grabbed Callum's hand and dragged him into the crowd before sitting down on a couch near the back of the room and pulling him next to her. "If you didn't, I don't care. You like Rayla!"

"Wh-What?!" Callum sputtered weakly, shaking his head. The music was way louder now that they were in the thick of it. "No. No! No, I do not like Rayla."

Claudia rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Oh my gosh, Callum. You can't deny it any longer. I'm literally going to have an aneurysm if you keep it up."

"I'm serious!" He couldn't have a crush on Rayla. He couldn't! Not that she wasn't brilliant and amazing and funny and strong and beautiful and talented and he trusted her with his life, but - "I like _you_!"

Claudia appeared taken aback by his words. "You - me? What?" She blinked, and for a moment she seemed to be at a total loss for words, but then she squared her shoulders to reassert herself. She sighed, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Callum, I know you _did _have a crush on me for a really long time, which was admittedly super adorable - you were like a little puppy - but you cannot use that as an excuse to ignore your painfully obvious feelings for Rayla. I won't let you."

"But I'm - I'm not ignoring anything!"

She groaned, burying her head in her hands. "Why are boys so difficult?"

"I do not have feelings for Rayla!" he snapped. He then became infinitely more grateful for the loud music blasting through the house that made it so only Claudia could hear him.

Claudia sighed. "Okay. Let's walk through this together. Baby steps." She began ticking things off on her fingers. "One, you're jealous of Felix and how much time he spends with Rayla. No shame in admitting it, jealousy is a natural human emotion, even if you are being kind of ridiculous about it."

"I'm not jealous." That excuse, or rather the lack thereof, was pretty pathetic. He'd admit it.

"Point proven," Claudia said with her signature 'I know you better than you know yourself' look. "Two, you and Rayla have been practically attached at the hip since she arrived here, which makes your jealousy both funnier and even more unnecessary. I mean, you would think that _I'd_ be the one to spend the most time with Rayla, since she's literally living with me and we have like three classes together, but no. Somehow you've got me beat, which clearly shows that _Rayla _wants to hang around you just as much as you want to be around her."

Callum couldn't think of a solid comeback. Yeah, it was true that he and Rayla were... well, always together, but that didn't mean -

"Three, basically all of your sketches from this past month are of Rayla. You only sketch a person if they've _really_ grabbed your attention. I would know, because as soon as you hit puberty Soren was always teasing you about how much you were sketching me."

"I - no, Rayla's just an interesting muse," he insisted, but his protest sounded weak even to him.

Claudia sighed, though this sigh sounded less frustrated and more sympathetic than before. "Callum, do me a favor and open your sketchbook."

He hesitated, but she continued to stare at him insistently, so finally he shook his head before doing as instructed.

"Great. Now find a picture of Rayla. Any picture. I won't even look, if that makes you feel more comfortable."

That _did _make him feel more comfortable, so he nodded and she turned away. He then began flipping through his sketchbook, finally stopping on a picture from only a few days ago. It was of Rayla putting her hair up while sitting cross-legged on his bed. Her hair tie was held between her lips with her computer balanced precariously on her knees as she tried to create some sort of bun on her head. Pens and crumpled-up papers were scattered around her.

"I want you to look at _how_ you drew her." Claudia's voice filtered its way into his mind as he stared at the picture. "You don't need to say anything to me. Just look. What did you focus on? What has the most detail? What parts have the most smudges because you kept accidentally smearing the lines when you got distracted looking at her?"

Callum's brain tuned out the rest of his friend's questions as he continued to examine the drawing. He lightly ran his finger over the outline of the sketch, brushing gently over the charcoal smudges, then he smoothed out stray wrinkles at the corners of the page.

Rayla was beautiful.

And she was beautiful like no one else he'd ever known. She was... electric, maybe that was the word he was looking for, and incredibly passionate, and she always made him laugh and she made him feel so good about the world and his place in it and -

And she was beautiful. God, she was so beautiful.

Huh. It was funny, almost, how much he sounded like Harrow talking about… about Sarai. Amaya had told him many years ago that before Harrow had proposed to her sister, she'd never seen anyone look at or talk about Sarai with as much admiration as Harrow did. People always said his mom and Harrow were more in love with each other than any other couple they'd ever known.

In love...

Oh.

Oh _no_.

"Oh my God," he mumbled, his gaze slowly lifting up from his sketchbook to meet Claudia's eyes. "I… I think I'm in love with Rayla."

Claudia blinked, then burst out laughing, her tone a mixture of amusement and endearment. "Wow. Okay. Only you would skip over the crush phase, huh?"

"What - What do I do?" Callum sputtered, slamming his sketchbook shut and shoving it back into his satchel. "There's no way she lov - likes me back." Rayla was - she was _everything_, and he was just… "Claudia, this is a disaster! Why would you make me confront my feelings like this?!" And at a _party_, of all places. His anxiety was starting to skyrocket.

"I'll tell you what you need to do," Claudia said, ignoring his second question as she smirked at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "You need to ask her out. And don't feed me any of the 'oh what if she says no' BS. She's head over heels for you - probably more than you are for her! And no, I don't care if that's hard for you to believe, because it's true."

Callum loosened his scarf around his neck, finding that he was struggling to breathe. It was definitely warmer in the room than it had been a few minutes ago - it wasn't just him, right? "I - I can't. No. No way." His mouth felt dry.

"Yes, you can!" Claudia insisted, poking him in the chest. "Come on, tough guy. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Oh, I don't know," Callum snapped, glaring at her. Christ, it was really hot in there. He was sweating and his hands were starting to shake, and the crowd kept moving closer and closer and closer, stealing his air, smothering and suffocating and strangling him - "She laughs and, and she says that she'd rather die than go out with me?"

"Callum, you are catastrophizing! Even if, for some blue-moon reason" - there was no way she was using that expression correctly - "she _does_ say no, you know she would never be that harsh about it."

"But -"

"No 'buts'! You're her best friend, and she wouldn't -"

"Shut up!" Callum shouted, jumping to his feet and slamming his eyes shut, clamping his hands over his ears to close himself off from the glaring world around him. It didn't help. The music - the music was so loud, seeping into his mind and choking him, drowning him from the inside out. "Just shut up!" He couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe, everyone was too close - "I can't, I can't" - he was like a broken record and his lungs were filled with cement, no, someone was filling his lungs with cement, and he couldn't see them, couldn't _stop_ them -

He was vaguely aware of someone calling his name - Claudia, maybe? - and of someone else dragging him out of the house and to the front yard. Fresh air washed over him with the force of a tidal wave as he dropped to his knees, and some of the cement broke inside, but not -

Not all of it.

"God, how could I have been so _stupid_? We never should have made him come to this party -"

"Claudia, this is not your fault. Callum knows his own limits."

"But it _is _my fault! I pushed him! I kept pushing and pushing and I didn't think about how close he was standing to the edge. Oh God, he's never going to forgive me." A pause. "Were you able to find Rayla?"

"Yeah. Emilé went to get her."

Callum felt someone kneel down next to him, gently taking his hands in one of theirs and placing their other hand on his back.

"I am _so _sorry, Callum. I didn't mean to - I only wanted to - ugh! Just - Just take deep breaths. In five, out five. Like Sarai taught you. Inhale 1... 2... 3... 4... 5. Hold. Exhale 5… 4… 3… 2… 1. And again."

Callum did his best to follow the instructions, inhaling and exhaling slowly for five counts each. After several breaths, he found himself able to open his eyes, doing so just in time to see a certain white-haired girl dropping to her knees next to him and crushing him in a hug.

Despite the sudden and almost overwhelming presence of Rayla, Callum found himself relaxing into her hug. He slid his arms around her back, burying his face into her shoulder and ignoring how her hair ever-so-slightly tickled his nose.

It still smelled like lavender.

"You dummy," she chided him, though the relief in her voice was impossible to disguise. "You shouldn't have come to this party if you didn't want to."

"Mm. Didn't want to be alone," he mumbled.

"You wouldn't have been alone, silly prince," she whispered in response, hugging him tighter. "I would have stayed home with you. Claudia, too. Probably Soren if we promised to have food there."

Callum managed a laugh at her comment, though he made no move to lift his head and look at her. He had a lot to think about. And he knew that in a matter of minutes, probably seconds, he was going to pull away from Rayla's hug a red-faced stammering mess, and he'd have to explain to her that sometimes his social anxiety got the best of him but it really wasn't a big deal, which she and Claudia would proceed to adamantly protest and before he knew what was happening all four of them would be back in Soren's car, headed home or to get ice cream or something.

But for now, she was here. With him.

And that was enough.

xXxXxXx

**Now, I'm not saying 10 is a magic number, but it ****_is _****one of my top five favorite numbers, so... Next chapter is gonna be good, y'all. To quote Helen Parr from ****_The Incredibles_****: "Brace yourselves!" Don't forget that I'm taking a break from posting to get into crunch time for my AP exam prep, so you might have to wait three weeks (versus the usual-ish two) for the next chapter, which I apologize for, but hopefully it'll be worth it. :) I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for reading!**


	10. just a kiss under the stadium lights

**I FINISHED MY AP EXAMS! I AM NOW A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE! CLASS OF 2020 WOOOOO! Thank you guys for all your well wishes about my exams - I think overall I did pretty well, so I am content. :) I'm sure the chapter title has some of you excited, so I'll keep this note short: stay 6 ft apart, remember to wash your hands, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

xXxXxXx

"So, you're going to the big game tonight?" Harrow asked.

Callum paused with a forkful of fruit halfway to his mouth. "Er... yes?"

Ezran frowned. "But you don't go to football games. Especially when they're big."

Callum shrugged as nonchalantly as possible, eating his fruit. "Well, I'm going to this one," he said after swallowing. "No big deal." Hmm. That could have been overkill.

Harrow nodded, taking a sip of his water. Callum did not like the knowing glint in his stepfather's eyes. "I see. Could this have anything to do with a new... friend... of yours, by any chance? Perhaps a certain exchange student?"

Callum _also _did not like his stepdad's emphasis on 'friend', and attempted to make that clear by glaring at the man. "I am going to the game to support _all_ of my friends, yes. Rayla is a starting wide receiver and Soren is - obviously - starting quarterback. They _both_ asked me to go, so I am going for _both_ of them." Ugh. Overkill again.

Ezran's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute..." He grinned at his brother. "You're only going because you'll get to sit with Claudia, right?"

Callum groaned, now feeling much less flustered and far more irritated with his brother's comments about Claudia. "No, Ez. That is not why I'm going."

Ezran raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Really?"

"I told you already. _Both_ of you. I'm just going to support my friends!" He paused, then sighed in mild resignation. "Okay, they're kind of forcing me to go, but since it's the first game of the season, I really do want to go and cheer them on. Mostly."

Harrow ate the last of his fruit salad before speaking. "Callum, I noticed that you've been spending quite a lot of time with Rayla lately." A complete subject change, then. He raised an eyebrow at his stepson, a mischievous glint dancing in his green eyes. "Might there be... something going on between the two of you?"

Dear God, his dad was everything but subtle.

Ezran gasped. "Rayla?!" He beamed excitedly. "She's awesome. I totally approve."

Callum's face reddened. "She's not - we're not - no. Ez, you've only met her once!" Okay, he didn't sound very convincing. Even to himself. "She's just my friend."

Ezran burst out laughing. "That's what you always said about Claudia! Callum, you _like_ her."

"What, are you still eight years old?" Callum snapped. He then winced at the harshness of his tone. "Sorry." He sighed. "Fine. Maybe," he muttered. "But even if I did 'like her' like her, it doesn't mean anything. And that fact is entirely unrelated to me going to the game." That was true. He'd promised to go to the game long before he'd realized he had a crush on Rayla.

"Are you going to ask her out?" Harrow took another sip of water. "Not to be an overt influence on your love life, but she's a sweet girl and is very smart." He paused, then grinned at his son. "I'm sure I don't need to mention this, but she could also kick your ass. The two of you go well together."

Callum groaned and buried his face in his hands as Ezran tried and failed to disguise his laughter as coughing. "I really do not need, much less want, _either _of you to be involved in my nonexistent love life, okay?" A love life that would _never _exist if they kept at it. He wasn't sure he'd ever been more embarrassed. This conversation was worse than when Claudia had to explain periods to him in 7th grade.

Harrow chuckled, reaching across the table to clap Callum on the shoulder. "Sorry. I just wanted to let you know that I think Rayla is good for you." He gave his son a genuine smile. "You've been a lot happier since you met her. I was worried about you at the beginning of the year. I wasn't sure how you'd adjust to college. But you've smiled almost every day after she arrived here. And for that I still haven't figured out a way to thank her."

Callum blinked, taken aback by his stepfather's honesty. Finally, he smiled at him. "Thanks, Dad."

Harrow's grin widened. "You are very welcome." He started to steal a piece of Ezran's fruit - much to Ezran's dismay - but was stopped by the ringing of his phone. He checked the caller ID and groaned. "Viren. I leave the school for one hour to have lunch with my kids and everything starts falling apart without me." He sighed. "Be right back." Before he stepped out of the room, he signaled to Ezran that their fruit battle was not over, to which Ezran responded by sticking out his tongue.

Ezran then threw a piece of fruit at his brother the moment after Harrow disappeared.

"Hey!" Callum exclaimed, wiping cantaloupe juice off his forehead before picking up the aforementioned fruit from the floor and tossing it into the garbage. "Was that really necessary?"

Ezran shrugged, snickering. "No, but it sure was funny. And it got your attention, so mission accomplished." He grabbed another piece of fruit and crossed the room to drop into Bait's cage. "I really do like Rayla. I hope she says yes when you ask her out."

"I'm not asking -"

"Well, you should." Ezran turned around, and the gentle smile he gave his brother resembled Harrow's so strongly that Callum had to do a double take. "Dad's right. She makes you laugh a lot. And it's nice when you laugh."

Callum found himself standing up to pull his brother into a tight hug. "Ez…" He sighed, his voice muffled by Ezran's hair. "What would I do without you?"

"Probably not ask out the girl you like and therefore be really miserable," Ezran replied, his voice in turn muffled by Callum's scarf.

Callum chuckled. "Fair enough."

By the time Harrow rejoined them, Callum and Ezran had returned to the table, their conversation now about how yes, high school was way worse than college and anyone who said otherwise was a liar. The conversation never returned to Rayla. And Callum was silently grateful for that.

But he was even more grateful for his family, even if they did sometimes annoy him to no end.

Maybe this football game wouldn't be so bad after all.

xXxXxXx

"Touchdown Royals!"

The shout of the announcer was soon drowned out by the screams and cheers of the KSU home crowd - Callum excluded.

"Yes!" Claudia exclaimed, jumping to her feet and shaking her pom poms. "Go Soren! Yeah!"

Honestly, Claudia took football way more seriously than Callum had expected her to. Although maybe it shouldn't have been such a surprise, considering who her older brother was.

"Remind me again why this game is so important?" Callum said, idly erasing a stray pencil mark on the corner of his open sketchbook. He knew it was the first game of the season, of course, but to him that just meant there were several other games they could win later in the year if something went wrong with this one.

"Because Del Bar is ranked in the top ten," Claudia explained, sitting back down next to Callum as the two teams headed to the sidelines and placing her pom poms in her lap. "We're ranked, too, but not top ten. If we beat them, we _should _be bumped up, and after that the CFP might finally start taking our team seriously!" She clenched her fist. "This year, we're championship-bound. I can feel it."

Callum understood at least three, maybe four, of the words that had left his friend's mouth. "So..." he said slowly, trying to come up with a proper response, "if we beat them, we'll look better?"

Claudia laughed and jokingly elbowed him in the stomach. "Close enough. Glad to see you're making an effort to understand." She winked at him. "Rayla will definitely appreciate it."

"Oh, ha ha," Callum said, rolling his eyes. "Someone thinks she's _so_ funny."

"I don't think. I _know_ I am."

The roar of the stadium dulled, if only slightly, as KSU's defense moved onto the field, followed by Del Bar's offense.

"Remind me how much time is left?" Callum asked, barely processing the next play. How did people watch this stuff for fun?

"Three minutes," Claudia replied, sitting so close to the edge of her seat Callum was concerned she'd fall off. "Technically. And they lead by a field goal. If we stop them here, we can get the ball back and at least tie the score."

Callum perked up. "Three minutes left in the game?"

"No, Callum." She sounded like a grandmother scolding a young child. "In the first half."

He groaned, loosening his scarf around his neck. "I don't think I can handle another half hour of this."

"Oh, we both know it'll be closer to a full hour. But remember - you're doing this for Rayla!"

Callum sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I'm aware." He returned his attention to his sketchbook, adding more shading to his drawing of Rayla giving a jelly tart to Bait. Logically, he knew he needed to be working on his charcoal mashup of the football stadium and the Roman Colosseum, but the fact of the matter was that he would much rather be drawing Rayla than... well, just about anything else.

He hadn't seen Rayla much during the game. He knew her jersey was number 16, but the ball hadn't been thrown her way once. Not that he'd seen, anyways, which was saying something, as Rayla was the only person he'd been paying attention to on the field. Either the... defender, or whatever, was doing a good job keeping her covered, or Soren simply trusted his other receivers more. Maybe a combination of both?

Callum had also noticed that Rayla was smaller than most of the other players. It wasn't that he didn't think she could hold her own, because he was well aware she could compete with the best of them, but she just wasn't as physically bulky as the other guys.

Except Del Bar's kicker. He looked like a twig.

She was also a few inches shorter than several players, but not enough where it seemed to hinder her. At least as far as he knew, based on what she told him about practices.

Callum could see her now, standing on the sidelines. He noticed that she kept her helmet on even when she wasn't on the field, and he recalled their conversation in the ice cream parlor where she'd explained that her coach had instructed her to keep her recruitment to the team on the down-low for the time being. Her name wasn't even on her jersey yet.

He'd wanted to talk to her at halftime, shoot her an encouraging text or something, but Claudia had informed him that the odds of her being able to get on her phone were slim. Which sucked.

"Ugh," Claudia said, slumping back into her seat and snapping Callum out of his thoughts. "Well, at least we held them to a field goal."

He blinked. "What?"

"It's halftime. Our defense held Del Bar to a field goal." She pushed her hair out of her face, the white streak that still remained creating a stark contrast against her natural jet-black color. "But if our defense doesn't figure out how to tell the freaking difference between a run and a pass play, we won't be able to stop them from scoring again."

Callum ignored the bitterness of his friend's tone and instead focused on the positive of her statement - it was halftime! Only another half hour of the game to endure. A half hour that would probably double, like Claudia had said, but... It was the principle that mattered.

Callum spent most of halftime talking with Claudia about a kitten that was brought into the animal shelter she volunteered at. Well, the conversation was mostly her gushing about how cute the kitten was and showing him photos while he listened and continued working on his sketch of Rayla, but he didn't mind. Claudia could make anything entertaining. It wasn't until the last few minutes of halftime that something strange happened. 'Something strange' being that he got a text from Rayla.

Weird. Claudia had said that she probably wouldn't be able to get on her phone.

_Rayla: Enjoying the game?_

_Callum: As much as I can, considering my limited knowledge of football_

_Callum: Claudia told me that you wouldn't be able to text during the game?_

_Rayla: Oh I'm definitely not supposed to be on my phone lol I'm hiding in the back of the locker room_

_Rayla: That's a perk of being the only girl on the team_

_Rayla: No one in the same locker room as me lmao_

_Callum: Nice_

_Rayla: But I texted you because Soren told me about an old entrance onto the field that you and Claudia can use at the end the game to meet up with us faster_

_Rayla: *end of_

_Rayla: It's on the west side, down the first stairwell to your left when you leave the stands_

_Rayla: At least according to Soren. Hold him accountable for any mishaps. I'm just the messenger_

_Callum: We'll be there!_

_Rayla: Can't wait!_

_Rayla: Also the second half of the game is gonna be great. Coach Zhou pulled Soren and I aside and told him not to be afraid to target me_

_Rayla: So I might have a big play or two_

_Rayla: Just so you know ;)_

_Callum: I'll keep an eye out for you!_

As if he hadn't been doing that the entire game.

But she didn't respond after that, and Callum figured that she'd probably been forced out of the locker room - which meant the second half was about to start.

He tucked his phone into his satchel and attempted to focus on the field. Sure enough, the teams soon returned. Callum was able to see Soren take the field after kickoff, but for some reason Rayla remained on the sidelines. And based on the way her arms were crossed stiffly over her chest, she didn't seem too pleased about the fact.

Weird. Hadn't she said -

"Their offensive coordinator wants to run another wide receiver," Claudia explained before snickering at his wary confusion. "Sorry. You were like, _super _obviously staring at her."

Callum flushed and rolled his eyes. "Thanks." Then he frowned. "Why do they want to run a different receiver? Rayla wasn't even given a chance to make a play for the ball in the first half."

Claudia shrugged. "No idea. Soren was so pissed he actually called me about it, but he couldn't have been on the phone for more than 30 seconds before he had to hang up. Something tells me he's going to have a few choice words for that coach."

Callum nodded in agreement. Soren was nothing if not protective of his friends. Rayla was sure to be back in the game before the final quarter. But after a few plays, he realized that Rayla didn't seem to be heading out onto the field anytime soon, so he busied himself with sketching.

He eventually found himself drawn back to working on his piece of the stadium and the Colosseum. His shading mistake hadn't proved to be too debilitating; switching the angle of the light had proved to be easier in many more aspects than he'd expected. Just as well, too - he was terrified that he'd ruined the piece.

But overall the picture was shaping up nicely. If he didn't hate the final product, maybe he'd even submit it for the KSU art showcase. Rayla and Claudia would probably tell him to submit it regardless, of course, but he did hold himself to certain standards regarding quality.

"Ugh, this is so not good," Claudia groaned, running both of her hands through her hair.

"Why? What's wrong?" Callum guiltily realized he hadn't looked up at the field in… forever. Oops.

"Del Bar is leading by a touchdown," she explained, "_and_ they have the ball. There's only four minutes left in the game! Unless we hold them to a three-and-out here, or by some miracle get a fumble or an interception, I don't know if we can pull off a win."

Callum closed his sketchbook, almost surprised to find himself curious about how the game was going to end. Apparently Claudia could even make _football_ entertaining.

He watched Del Bar's quarterback nearly drop the ball when it was snapped - he was pretty sure that was the right word - to him, followed by a KSU defender jumping up to block the ball as it was thrown. The defender managed to get a hand on it, and then -

"Intercepted!" Claudia screamed, jumping to her feet and waving her pom poms like a maniac. "Oh my God! Yes, yes! Callum, we can still win this game!"

Callum cheered, too, albeit with less enthusiasm then Claudia. "Go Royals!"

KSU's offense took the field, Soren leading the group with a determined expression that Callum was only able to see with the help of the giant screen at the east end of the field. He was once again disappointed to note that Rayla remained on the sidelines.

"Two and a half minutes left," Claudia muttered, her foot rapidly tapping the floor of the bleachers. "Come on, Soren!"

Callum watched as Soren threw two incomplete passes. Claudia looked like she was about to chew a hole in her lip from the tension.

Suddenly the teams moved off the field.

"Wait, what?" Callum said, puzzled. "What's going on? Where are they going?"

"Soren took a timeout," was Claudia's terse reply.

Callum decided not to ask her anything else. She seemed… stressed was putting it lightly.

He watched as Soren dragged two people, his coach and... someone else that looked important, over to where Rayla was standing. He couldn't hear a word that was said, but he saw Soren gesture towards Rayla in some sort of pleading motion. There was a long pause while no one moved. Finally, Soren's coach nodded.

Seconds later, the teams returned to the field, and Rayla was out to the right as a wide receiver.

"Go Rayla!" he shouted, though he was fully certain that he was drowned out by Claudia's cry of "Go Soren!" Theatre had definitely made her good at projecting.

Callum didn't even watch as the ball was snapped. His eyes were glued onto Rayla as she sidestepped the defender guarding her - a corner, maybe? - and ran down the field. It was almost insane how quickly she was moving. No one seemed aware that she'd broken away from the line.

"The Royals have a receiver down the field that is wide open!" the commentator shouted. "Oh, but it looks like KSU's quarterback overthrew the ball - no! With a leaping grab, number 16 has caught it at the 15-yard line!"

Callum screamed in excitement as Rayla grabbed the ball out of the air, clutching it tightly to her chest as she tumbled to the ground, her helmet falling off as she landed. He had no idea where his sudden energy had come from, but he wasn't going to question it.

"And the receiver is -" The commentator stopped. "The exchange student?"

The crowd quieted, screams of joy transforming into hushed murmurs within seconds as Rayla's white hair fell out of its bun and tumbled down around her shoulders.

"Is that the Xadian girl?" someone behind them whispered.

"I think so," someone else muttered in response. "What's _she_ doing on the team?"

Callum bit his tongue to prevent himself from saying something that he would regret. No need to tarnish Harrow's reputation. His stepdad was already looked down upon by heads of other universities, and his stepson punching some random kid in the face would not help.

But it was tempting. It was so, so tempting.

Just as he'd turned around to give them a verbal piece of his mind -

"Oh, shut _up_." Claudia had beaten him to it. "The 'Xadian girl', as you so crudely put it, just gave us a major chance to win this football game and finally be ranked in the top ten like we deserve. I can't tell if you're being sexist or xenophobic, but either way, please - get your heads out of your asses, smell some roses to clear your nose of that scent of bullshit, and watch the damn game."

Callum knew he had no chance of topping Claudia's comment, so instead he satisfied himself with glaring at the two before returning his attention to the field. He noticed that Rayla wasn't lined up like before - she was back on the sidelines.

"Her helmet came off, so she has to sit out for a play," Claudia explained, and Callum realized that he'd been thinking aloud.

"Oh. Okay."

"One minute on the clock," Claudia muttered. "Two timeouts left. We can do this."

Soren threw a pass that slipped between the hands of an open receiver.

Claudia groaned. "Okay. Okay. Not the end of the world. At least an incomplete pass stops the time."

"And Rayla can go back in the game," Callum muttered, only halfway listening to Claudia's rambling. His eyes were glued to his friend, who did indeed return to the field as the play clock was counting down from five.

The ball was snapped. The person defending Rayla attempted to jump into her path, but she sidestepped them again without missing a beat, darting through a hole in - in coverage, was it? - and ended up open in the end zone.

"And 16 is wide open - touchdown, Royals! With just under twenty seconds on the clock!"

"Yes!" Callum screamed, jumping to his feet as Rayla easily caught the ball well within the end zone. "Go Rayla!"

"Holy shit," Claudia breathed as she watched their offense take the field again after the score, massaging her temples. "They're going for a two-point conversion?!"

"Uh," Callum stammered, slightly afraid to ask her any questions but also not at all understanding what she was talking about, "what does that mean?"

"It means I'm going to kill Soren if they lose this game," she glowered. "That idiot!" She took a deep breath before giving him a very tight smile. "Instead of kicking a field goal for one extra point, they have to throw or run the ball into the end zone for two points." Claudia began to pace in the little room she had in the stands. "Why aren't they just trying to tie it and go into overtime? Why are they risking the win like this?!"

"Maybe they just want to try to end it now?" Callum suggested, trying to cheer her up, though the glare she sent him made him wish he hadn't spoken at all.

"It's a terrible idea," she growled. "Oh, I am _so_ going to let Soren have it after this is over!"

The center, or whatever that position was, snapped the ball. Callum felt like his heart was beating out of his chest as he watched Del Bar's team blitz Soren - he was pretty sure that was the right term - who somehow managed to scramble away. An angry shout then slipped out of his lips as he watched Rayla get shoved to the ground inside the end zone.

No flag was thrown. The clock was winding down.

Rayla quickly got back to her feet and darted to the corner of the end zone. She caught Soren's eye, and he threw the ball in her direction.

Time seemed to slow. Rayla reached out with her left hand, clutching at the tip of the ball and somehow pulling it into her chest just as the clock hit zero, dragging both feet to make sure she didn't step out of bounds.

The stadium erupted into cheers, with Callum and Claudia leaping to their feet at the same time.

"We won! We did it! Finally!" Claudia kept screaming, though Callum could hardly hear her amidst the other noise. "Top ten, here we come!"

Callum then remembered Rayla's text about where to meet her and Soren after the game. Without any explanation he grabbed Claudia's hand and began dragging her towards the west end of the stadium, the light of the setting sun just bright enough for him to see the places the stadium lights didn't reach.

"Where are we going?" Claudia shouted, stumbling but regaining her balance by grabbing a nearby railing.

"To celebrate!" was his only reply.

Callum absentmindedly registered KSU's team kicking the ball and Del Bar's quarterback throwing one complete pass before the clock officially ran out. The team and various fans crowded around Rayla on the field, smothering her in appreciation they wouldn't have had only minutes earlier, which Callum noted with immense irritation. He pulled Claudia down what he hoped were the correct set of metal stairs and through a damp-smelling corridor. Fortunately, it wasn't a long hallway, and he could see the field at the end of it. Soon Claudia was the one doing the pulling, and in a matter of seconds they emerged outside. With the mass of players and fans swarming the area, however, it was hard to determine one person from the next.

"Soren!" Claudia called. "Soren, where are you?! I am going to rip your head off!" She paused. "With love!"

"Look!" Callum pointed at two figures breaking off from the main crowd. "It's them!"

"Callum!" Rayla shouted, running towards him and crushing him in a hug. He was relieved to note that she was no longer in uniform, because the protective gear the players had to wear might have broken his bones otherwise. "We won! We did it! Oh my God, I can't believe we did it!"

Callum laughed, returning the hug despite his surprise at being lifted off the ground. Well, he wasn't _that_ surprised - Rayla was ridiculously strong, after all. Unexpected. That was more the word. "Hey, give yourself more credit! Of course you were able to win! You're amazing!"

Rayla grinned and pulled slightly away, though her arms remained wrapped around him. "I'm hoping now I won't get quite so many weird looks from people in class."

"I mean, I still think people are crazy for not giving you a chance in the first place," Callum replied, silently berating himself for rambling. "Like Claudia said about some jerks who were sitting behind us - they had their heads too far up their own asses to see."

Rayla burst out laughing. "That does sound like Claudia."

"She's right, though! Even if I'm not sure I would have phrased it _exactly _like that." Callum removed his arms from around Rayla to slip his hands into hers. It felt like a perfect fit, even though he supposed it really wasn't. Ugh. Technicalities. "They should have given you a chance. They're not allowed to be all appreciative now and expect you to be cool with it."

Rayla shrugged. "People will act the way they were brought up." She smiled at him and gave his hands a gentle squeeze. "But that's why I'm so grateful for those people who _did_ give me a chance. Like you."

As moonlight started to dance over the field, Callum suddenly understood how her clan had gotten its name. The moonlit shadows that fell across her face made her seem to glow, and _wow_. She was… radiant. Her violet eyes sparkled with the brightest, most genuine joy he'd ever seen.

Callum sighed, and it sounded so awestruck he was too embarrassed to acknowledge it. "Rayla, you are so..."

Next thing he knew, he was standing on his tiptoes and pressing his lips to hers. They were warm and tasted faintly of salt - and then his brain caught up with his action. As soon as he realized what he was doing, he jerked away from her, his hands dropping to his sides and his face burning red with embarrassment.

"Sorry!" he stammered, his gaze falling to the ground likely because his subconscious desperately wanted to avoid eye contact with her for fear of a negative reaction. "I just - I just got carried away, because you're so beautiful and smart and, and really fast" - his voice cracked, forcing him to clear his throat as he winced in embarrassment at the strange compliment - "and I like you a lot, but I totally understand if you don't -"

"Shut up."

Callum did so at the speed of light, looking up to see Rayla rolling her eyes at him, an amused smirk on her face. "What -"

"I said _shut up_, you dummy." Rayla grabbed his scarf, pulling him close to her and crashing her lips onto his in a fiery kiss.

Callum vaguely heard a surprised squeak before realizing that the noise had come from himself. Then he leaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and closing the space between them. She was damp with sweat and her hair was in the messiest ponytail he'd ever seen her wear but he couldn't care less. Hell, he was probably going to start hallucinating things as a result of the euphoric, serotonin-induced high he was riding on, but really, what did it matter when he could have _sworn _that he felt her heart beating in perfect unison with his own?

Rayla was kissing him. _He_ was kissing _Rayla_!

When the need for air became imminent, he slowly pulled away, his hands sliding down to rest on her hips. Rayla leaned in to press their foreheads together, her free hand moving down to his chest.

"Wow," was all Callum could think to say. How witty of him.

Rayla giggled - a gentle, airy sound he'd never heard from her before, but one he hoped to hear a thousand times again. "I can't lie - I have been waiting to kiss you like that for quite a while now." She released his scarf with her other hand and tucked her hair behind her ear before resting her arm on his shoulder. She stared at him for a moment, and her gaze softened. "Just so you know, I think you're amazing, too," she whispered. "You're so brave, Callum, and funny, even if your jokes _can _be really stupid sometimes." She winked at him. "I would even go so far as to say that you're dashing and noble - my prince."

Callum laughed at her use of the nickname, then froze as she placed another soft kiss on his lips. He couldn't help but hum in contentment after she pulled away. He again took a moment to admire her appearance in the moonlight. The way she shone and - and _glittered _was almost ethereal.

She, a goddess in all but name, liked _him._ Was it too good to be true?

"So..." he said slowly, wincing and then laughing as his voice cracked yet again. "Does this mean we're... a thing?"

Rayla's gentle smile widened into a delighted grin. "Hmm. I suppose it does."

"I guess we'll have to work out the nuances of... us. People might be even crueler towards you when they find out we're together."

Rayla shrugged. "Who cares? I've got you, Soren and Claudia, Felix, Ezran, even Professor Harrow. I don't care what anyone else thinks."

That time, when Rayla leaned in to kiss him again, Callum was prepared for it.

And sure - maybe they were just kids. Maybe they _would_ only be together for a short while. Maybe things would end the moment Rayla had to go back to Xadia.

But right then… Rayla felt like home.

Rayla _was_ home.

And that was everything.

xXxXxXx

**I ****_told_**** you guys it was just a medium burn, lol! And I couldn't resist blending in a bit of their kiss on the Ambler from the series into the end. ;) Y'all wanna know something wild? My favorite part of this chapter to write wasn't even them getting together - it was Claudia during the football game lmao. I love football - I know, disgustingly American of me, but it's something my dad and I bond over so :D - which meant it was super fun to write Claudia the way I sometimes react when I get really into games. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Now that exams are done, I should be back to my regular updating schedule so... See you in two(ish) weeks! Thank you for reading!**


	11. and we're only beginning

**I know I don't have a ****_large _****platform, but I still have ****_a _****platform, so I'm going to use it: Black Lives Matter. There should be nothing controversial about this statement. If you don't agree with it, I encourage you to check your privilege. If you still don't understand, stop reading my stories now because you are not the audience I write for.**

**So, I don't want to ask that people donate, because I know that there are many factors influencing financial situations at the moment (including but not limited to the covid-19 pandemic), but I encourage you to sign petitions (texting JUSTICE/ENOUGH/FLOYD to 55156 is a good way to start) and to continue educating yourself on the situation at hand as well as on structural racism - ****_especially_**** if you are white and American. If you ****_can_**** donate, by all means do. If you can't, consider watching videos on YouTube where all ad revenue goes to support Black Lives Matter (ex. search "Zoe Amira"). I myself am trying to learn how to better be an ally and address the white privilege I know I experience in my life. It is not enough to "not be racist". We must be ****_anti-racist_****. I will ****_never_**** understand what is like to be black, but I ****_do_**** understand that silence is violence, which is why I'm including this note here. I might only be a teenager, but I want to do whatever I can to help. **

**If you'd like more resources, feel free to message me on Tumblr thinkingisadangerouspastime (or just scroll through my recent posts [ignoring queued ones] and/or my "ref" tag). A basic Google search should also turn up a bunch of information/resources, too. The best time to start learning about and fighting against white supremacy and systemic oppression was hundreds of years ago. The second best time is now. Thank you for taking the time to read this.**

xXxXxXx

"So."

"So."

Rayla gave him a gentle if amused smile. "We're... a thing now."

Callum nodded. "Yep. We're... a thing." His chest flooded with warmth at the thought, despite the lack of a label on the relationship.

They were sitting in a booth at the café where they'd had their first real conversation those many weeks ago. Callum felt it was pretty romantic when he'd suggested they meet up there to discuss their new relationship, but he didn't actually voice that thought aloud. Surely he wasn't allowed to say that on their first... sort-of date. Was he? That would be moving way too fast, wouldn't it?

"I guess we need to..." Rayla seemed to struggle to find the right words. "Talk through our... expectations? What we're looking for?"

"Uh... yes?" Ugh, he sounded too uncertain. "Yes. Yes, agreed. We should do that."

They stared at each other for a moment, then proceeded to burst out laughing.

"Okay, I think we might be putting some unnecessary pressure on ourselves," Rayla said amidst her laughter, wiping a tear from beneath her eye. "Let's - let's try this again. Starting point. Who should we tell, and how?"

Callum nodded, his own laughter slowly dying off. Her question seemed the perfect place to begin. "Claudia and Soren, obviously. I'm pretty sure Claudia is going to lose her mind. Although, they might have already seen us... uh..." He coughed. "You know. At the game."

Rayla rolled her eyes, but he didn't miss her blushing. It was nice to know she was as new to all this as he was. "They were probably too caught up in the win to notice, but I agree. We definitely have to tell them."

"I also want to tell Ez," he continued. "And my dad. They… er, expressed their support for me pursuing a relationship with you before I left for the game. It was incredibly embarrassing."

"Aw," Rayla cooed, smiling at him. "That's really sweet."

"Not sweet. Humiliating," he grumbled, earning laughter from his girlfriend.

Girlfriend.

Wow.

Callum cleared his throat. "Anyways. What about you? Do you want to tell Runaan and Ethari?"

Rayla grimaced, and he wondered if he shouldn't have brought them up. "Ah. About that." She sighed, taking a sip of her iced tea. "I don't know. Part of me thinks - or hopes, maybe - that all they'll really care about is if I'm happy with you. Another part of me knows that they might... struggle with the idea. At first. They'd come around eventually."

Callum wondered if she was trying to convince herself as much as she was him, and the thought made his heart ache.

He reached over the table to place his hand on top of hers. "You don't have to tell them yet. We can see how things play out for a while before you make any announcements." He chuckled. "Although, like I said, I think we're legally obligated to tell Claudia and Soren. Claudia will have our heads if we don't."

"You make a solid point there." Rayla then gave him a relieved smile, gratitude flickering in her violet eyes. "Thank you, Callum. You're the best boyfriend a girl - or anyone, really - could ask for." Her face reddened as she realized what she'd said, and she pulled her hand out of his to cover her mouth in embarrassment. "I mean - only if you're okay with me calling you that. You know. Boyfriend."

Callum could feel that his face was as red as hers. "I don't - I don't mind." He then gave her a cheeky grin. "Does that mean I'm allowed to say you're my girlfriend?" The word felt foreign on his tongue, yet saying it aloud was... exhilarating.

Rayla nodded. "Yes. Yes, of course you can." She laughed, though it seemed a little nervous. "Fair is fair, right?"

"Right. Yes. Definitely! Fair is fair."

"Mhm!"

This conversation was beginning to feel very circular. Callum decided it was time for a change in topic. "So... Well, how do you feel about PDA?" That was horrendously articulated. "I mean, how open do you want us to be regarding the rest of the school?" He paused. "Do we _plan_ on telling anyone else at school?"

Rayla shrugged. "Moonshadows don't really lean one way or the other when it comes to PDA, but I'm not going to refuse to hold your hand if you offer, if that makes sense. And the longer we're together I'm sure it will all become... more natural, you know?"

Callum was indescribably thrilled by the implication that she thought they'd be together for a while. He felt that way, too, but he was more than a little anxious - aka completely terrified - to mention it.

"And I don't think we need to keep our relationship a secret, per se," she continued. "We just... won't specifically tell anyone unless they ask. Let people think what they'll think. It's not like it's any of their business in the first place."

Callum chuckled. "Good point." He ate a bite of his macaroon. "To be honest, I don't really know if anyone is actually going to care about - well, about 'us'. People date and break up every other day around here. I'm starting to get the vibe that college is just 'like that'."

"Yeah, but we're kind of social outcasts. Especially me." Rayla tucked her hair behind her ear. "You're going to get even more nasty looks from now on. It's one thing to be friends with the weird Xadian. But _dating_ her?" She gave him a wry smile. "They might call you a traitor to KSU and all of Katolis or something stupid like that."

"Eh. I can take it." He grinned at her. "You're worth it."

Rayla flushed. "Oh my God. You're so embarrassing."

"What, because I want to show some appreciation for my girlfriend?" Callum laughed as she buried her face in her hands. "I'm serious!" He drank some of his coffee. "But I feel like I should be the one warning _you_. People are probably going to accuse you of dating me in order to..." He trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip as he tried to figure out the right words for what he wanted to explain. "They'll say -"

"That I'm dating you in order to stay in Professor Harrow's good graces?" she supplied, and he nodded. She sighed, shrugging. "I was actually thinking about that the other day. It'll be a pain in the ass, but I don't care. People will make stupid assumptions no matter what."

Ugh. Well, that was so true it hurt. "Yep. But we'll power through it." He smiled at her. "Together."

Rayla nodded. "Together."

They continued discussing the future of their relationship, with Callum saying he would be free for dates most Fridays and Saturdays and Rayla then pointing out that she would have a game basically every Saturday until December if not January. Callum promised to go to all of her home games, though Rayla reassured him that she did not expect him to attend every single home game. Just the important ones.

(He didn't care. He'd go to all of them, anyways. He loved the idea of seeing her in her element - competition.)

Callum mentioned the possibility of him picking her up from a practice or two every week so they could hang out - code: go on a date - without anyone else tagging along, to which his girlfriend readily agreed. And of course they were determined to continue their weekly homework sessions, though Callum had a feeling that now they would be even more prone to distracting each other. And maybe they'd even do a little more than just homework.

No, not _that_.

"Hey," Rayla said after they'd thrown away their trash and started walking towards the door. "I just realized that you never did give me a tour of campus like you promised."

"I do not recall _promising _anything," he pointed out, "but… You're right. I never did." Callum nodded his thanks when she held the door open for him as they left the café. "If you're still interested - if you still even _need _a tour - we can definitely do that." He slipped his hand into hers as they began walking in the general direction of Rayla's next class, feeling much less self-conscious about this decision than he did before they'd set boundaries for physical affection.

Honestly, a campus tour didn't sound like a half-bad date. Or even a series of dates. There'd be plenty of cute places where they could stop and hang out.

"Unfortunately for you, Claudia pretty much did that for me already. But..." Rayla then grinned at him, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously. "I've only left campus like once since arriving in Katolis, for Felix's party. Maybe you could help me sightsee the coolest spots outside of KSU?"

Callum laughed. "Of course. I'll put together an itinerary as soon as possible."

"Pff." Rayla gently shoved him with her shoulder as they were walking. "You dummy. We don't need an _itinerary_. And it was just a suggestion - we don't have to do that if there's other things you have in mind."

"I know, I know." Callum shrugged. "I just... want to do stuff with you. Any stuff. For as long as we can. Since at the end of the year, you'll have to..." He trailed off, not really wanting to process the thought.

"Leave?" she finished. Her voice was tinged with sadness, and the two slowed to a stop on the sidewalk. "Yeah. I know. I don't want to think about it, either." She squeezed his hand. "So, for now, let's not. It's barely October - my departure is a problem for _after_ the end of football season."

Callum laughed. Only Rayla would use sports as the milestone for her year.

She tapped his nose. "There it is. There's that smile I love to see."

She started to continue walking forward, but Callum pulled her back and stood on his tiptoes to press a hasty kiss to her lips. It was entirely fueled by adrenaline, but when he tried to pull away, Rayla leaned down into it, causing his feet to fall flat to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her to close the space between them.

"You know," he murmured as she broke the kiss, their faces still inches apart, "I could really get used to that."

"Mm. Me too." She gave him a small smile. "It's a good thing I'm not going anywhere."

Callum hesitated, then pushed the future to the back of his mind. All that mattered was the present. The moment they were in.

He returned her smile. "I'd say we're pretty lucky, all in all."

She pressed another soft kiss to his lips. "That we are."

xXxXxXx

"There's something I want to tell you guys."

Callum's words caused both his father and his brother to freeze with their spoons of ice cream halfway to their mouths, and he realized that he probably could have phrased his announcement in a way that inspired less... panic.

"It's nothing bad!" he added hastily. "Honest! I just wanted the two of you to be the first ones we told."

Harrow raised an eyebrow. "'We'?"

Callum nodded. "Me and Rayla." Oh, wow. Rayla would have corrected him. It was 'Rayla and I'.

Harrow sighed. "Callum, if you got her pregnant -"

"What?! God, no!" Callum reached out to cover his brother's ears. "Don't talk about that stuff in front of Ez!"

Ezran rolled his eyes, removing his older brother's hands. "I'm not a kid, Callum. I know about se - wait, sorry, I know about 'the birds and the bees'."

Callum shook his head, ignoring his brother's mocking tone. "Nope. You're still 10 years old to me."

Harrow cleared his throat, regaining the attention of his sons. "Anyways. What were you saying about you and Rayla?"

"Right. Right." Callum pushed his bangs out of his face. "Rayla and I…" It was just a few words! He could do this! "We're dating. And now you get one question each." He didn't know why he was so nervous about saying it out loud. Both his dad and Ezran had already expressed their support regarding his interest in Rayla. In fact, they may have been more enthusiastic than he had, which was saying something.

Maybe it was the weight of the words. The air of permanence that came with them. The expectations, too. He liked Rayla - he liked Rayla so, so much. And right now, it felt like they'd be together forever.

Maybe he was afraid of messing that up.

"Hello? Earth to Callum?"

He blinked upon hearing his name, and his face reddened as he realized that he'd zoned out. "Sorry. Can you - uh, repeat whatever you said?"

Apparently it was Ezran who'd spoken to him, as his younger brother huffed in mock-impatience. "Can't believe you're already daydreaming about her. Young love is a drug." He smirked at Callum's affronted expression. "Anyways, I _said_ that I like Rayla. And I think Rayla is way cooler than you, so I don't know how you won her over."

Callum rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."

Ezran laughed. "Okay, but seriously, you two are good for each other. I'm happy for you."

"As am I," Harrow said. He stood and walked around the table, placing a hand on his youngest son's shoulder. "Ezran, do you mind if I had a word with Callum? Privately?"

Ezran appeared suspicious but agreed, grumbling something about he was practically an adult now and therefore _should _be allowed to stay, though he still begrudgingly left the dining room, his bowl of ice cream in his hands. Harrow then took Ezran's seat next to Callum.

"I want to first say again that I am very happy for you and Rayla." He grinned at his stepson. "One could say that you are each other's better halves."

Callum was tempted to argue, but... Yeah, that sounded about right. Rayla was definitely _his_ better half.

"But I just wanted to make sure that you're prepared for the consequences of being in a relationship with her." Harrow paused, wincing. "'Consequences' is a strong word. What I mean is -"

"That people are going to talk shit about us behind our backs?" Callum supplied. "That there are going to be awful rumors about our relationship flying around? That some people are just flat-out not going to accept us being together?" He tried to offer his dad a reassuring smile. "Rayla and I have already talked about it. We don't care."

Harrow blinked, seemingly stunned and impressed by his son's proclamation. Then he smiled, pride gleaming in his green eyes. "I should have known that the two of you had this discussion already." He squeezed Callum's shoulder. "My only advice for you, then, is to set boundaries and respect them. Treasure her. Support her. And remember: her enemies must become your enemies."

"Her - what?"

"If she dislikes someone or says her gut is telling her not to trust someone, _listen_. Chances are she knows what she's talking about. Sarai always did."

Callum nodded, not missing how his father's face softened at the mention of his mother. "Will do." He then smirked at his dad. "Got any other parting words of wisdom before you make me go do the dishes?"

Harrow shrugged. "Hmm... Ask for permission and always use protection. Consent is sexy."

Callum now wished he'd kept his mouth shut. "Thanks," he grumbled, his face red. "Really wanted to hear my dad use the word 'sexy' today." _Not_.

Harrow chuckled, clapping his son on the knee before standing up. "Sorry, sorry. Go do your homework or whatever it is you do in your free time. I'll take care of the dishes." He then disappeared into the kitchen, calling for Ezran to come help him.

Callum didn't know whether to be offended or begrudgingly amused by his stepdad's assumption because, well, he was right.

Just as Callum was about to go to his room and try to finish an assignment for his philosophy elective, his phone buzzed. He hesitated, not wanting to get distracted right before he needed to get work done, but something compelled him to stop and read the message.

_Rayla: Brace yourself._

Callum frowned as he reread her text. 'Brace himself'? For what? Rayla seemed to know something he didn't, and it was a little bit terrifying.

His question was answered when his phone began buzzing again, more persistently - an incoming call. From Claudia.

Huh. Rayla must have told her they were dating.

Oh, _crap_. Rayla must have told her they were _dating_.

He answered the phone, his hand trembling ever so slightly. "Hello?"

"Callum! You mean to tell me that you and Rayla have been together for three whole days and I was not informed from day one?!"

Callum bit his tongue to keep from laughing. "I don't think I technically told you anything, to be fair."

Wrong thing to say.

"I know!" He winced and pulled the phone away from his ear at her shout of indignation. "That's exactly my point! What kind of friend are you if you don't keep me updated every minute of each major development in your love life?!"

"Erm... A bad one?"

"Damn straight!" She sighed, and Callum could visualize her pinching the bridge of her nose. "Alright. So. Rayla told me the two of you got together last Saturday. When?"

Callum opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish. And not just any goldfish. A _confused_ goldfish. A very important distinction. "Uh. After the game?"

Claudia groaned, and Callum heard familiar laughter in the background of the call. "Okay, but _when_? Soren and I were with you the entire time! I don't remember any dramatic confessions of love and affection." She paused. "Ooh. That kind of rhymed."

Callum chewed his lip as he tried to articulate an answer. "I mean... In our defense, we weren't trying to hide our... love and affection, or whatever you said. Although we didn't dramatically confess or anything." He laughed. "We were honestly really obvious, but everyone was so caught up in the win that they just weren't paying attention to us. You and Soren were like 10 feet away and you didn't notice."

There was a long pause. In his mind's eye, he could picture Claudia giving him a suspicious glare. "And what, exactly, did Soren and I not notice?"

Callum suddenly got a feeling that he'd said too much. "Uh... nothing?"

Claudia gasped. "Oh my God. You kissed?! And you didn't tell me?!"

"Callum!" he heard Rayla shout in the background. "You didn't need to fill her in on every detail!"

"Oh, he didn't!" Claudia answered for him. "But _you_ are about to!" There was the sound of movement on her end of the line. "Anyways," she continued, once again speaking to Callum, "I'm about to interrogate Rayla, but don't think that means I'm done with you. This conversation _will_ be continued."

Callum didn't have time to protest before she'd hung up. He stood in stunned silence for a moment before he burst out laughing, sticking his phone into his back pocket.

"What's so funny?" Ezran asked, poking his head out of the kitchen, Bait resting atop his hair.

Callum shook his head, still grinning like an idiot. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

xXxXxXx


	12. your plans need to be more flexible

**I've decided to do a thing before most chapters where I'll list one or two "action items" or some questions to think about regarding BLM, LGBT+ rights, women's rights (intersectional feminism ****_only_****), etc. You can skip over them if you'd like, because I understand that fanfiction can be an escape/break from reality for some people, but that doesn't mean these issues stop existing. They are of the utmost importance, so I encourage you to at least skim the items, or even come back to them after you read; I promise, it'll only be a couple things! :) For today:**

**1\. Follow soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram (excellent infographics regarding a variety of social issues that are easy to digest if you're easily overwhelmed by statistical information!)**

**2\. Read ****_So You Want to Talk About Race_**** by Ijeoma Oluo (I've just started and it is SO. INFORMATIVE.)**

**In other news, Happy Father's Day to Harrow! (And Runaan, Ethari, and Lain. Not really Viren though, lol.) Also, regarding this fic specifically, my goal is to have the entire story written by the end of the summer (written by hand; not typed/edited lmao), that way from then on I might be able to shift to weekly updates (though that does depend on what college is like for me). This is just an estimation, but the story will probably have about 40 chapters, with the last chapter being an epilogue. I've written a little over half of the fic already, and everything is all plotted out in the notes app on my phone (don't judge me for that lmao). Anyways - just wanted to tell you guys that so you have an idea of where I'm going with all this lol. I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

xXxXxXx

_Callum: what time do you want me to pick you up?_

_Rayla: a half hour from now works :)_

_Callum: sure_

_Callum: wait_

_Callum: i thought football practice didn't end until 5?_

_Rayla: Coach has to go to his niece's birthday party so practice ended early_

_Callum: huh. okay_

_Callum: 3:30 it is, then!_

_Rayla: see you soon_

Callum's heart skipped a beat as she followed her final text with an emoji blowing a kiss. His foot was almost aggressively tapping the floor as he spun around in his rolling desk chair, antsy from a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Their first real date was now less than an hour away, and he had so many plans. He wanted to show Rayla the downtown life of the city, and he hoped more than anything that she would enjoy it. In fact, he had _everything _pinned on those hopes.

He was also feeling absolutely terrified, if he was being honest with himself. He didn't want to disappoint his girlfriend. And sure, she'd reassured him a dozen times over that anything he planned would be fine with her, but that did not at all abate his nerves.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out to read the caller ID and was surprised to find that it was Harrow. His stepdad wasn't supposed to get off of work - if he was ever _truly _off of work - for another hour, which he'd only known because they'd had to compromise about leaving Ezran alone at the house for a while so he and Rayla could go on their date.

God, it felt weird to casually think of himself and Rayla as dating.

Weird, but in a good way. And also exhilarating.

Callum realized he still hadn't answered his phone, and he scrambled to press the green button on his screen before the call could end. "Hello?"

"I would like to apologize in advance for what I am about to request of you."

Callum raised an eyebrow at his stepdad's borderline-ominous tone. "Er... okay?" He didn't know whether to be afraid of or curious about what was going to be asked of him.

"There's been a last-minute meeting called of the heads of all Katolian public universities," Harrow began. "I have to fly out tonight to attend. Viren will be accompanying me. I should be back late tomorrow evening. But until then..."

Callum groaned, knowing exactly what his father was going to say. "I need to watch Ezran, don't I?"

"Mhm. Make sure he gets on the bus in the morning at 6:15 and pick him up from Youth Government tomorrow after school at 4:00."

Callum wracked his brain for another solution. Not that he didn't love his brother, but he hated when his schedule was interrupted. Change was inevitable, but really, the world needed to just conform to his plans. Life would be so much easier. "What about Aunt Amaya?" he suggested, aware it was a long shot, because he was pretty sure she was still in another country. "Any chance that she's available?"

"I'm not asking Amaya, Callum," Harrow said firmly. "I'm asking you." Typical. "And besides, you know she's not in Katolis at the moment." Yeah. He did. He wished he didn't. "Now, this also means you need to pick Ezran up from City Park in an hour. He's doing something with Habitat for Humanity that ends around 4."

An hour? Right. Great! Of course. Cutting _directly _into his date with Rayla. "But -"

"Look. I know you have plans with Rayla. I know that those plans are important to you. And I'm not asking you to cancel them. Just... alter them. Maybe bring Ezran along with you. Okay?"

Well, that was an idea he didn't entertain for long. He loved his brother, but him third-wheeling would not be enjoyable for any of them. And by 'any of them' he meant himself specifically.

Irritation flickered through Callum's body, and he found himself clenching the fist that wasn't holding his phone. All of his work and his planning - he was just supposed to throw that aside? How was that fair?! "But, Dad -" he started to protest, only to be interrupted by Harrow, whose tone had turned much harsher.

"Do I need to rephrase, Callum? I am _telling_ you to do this. Understand me?"

Callum blinked, his words dying on his lips. He felt guilty for arguing, knowing how stressed his dad had to be if he was snapping at him like this. "Yes sir. I'm sorry."

Harrow sighed, and Callum could almost visualize the tension fading from his stepfather's shoulders. "Thank you, Callum. And I'm sorry, too. I promise I'll make it up to you as soon as I can. I'll call both of you tonight after I get to the hotel."

"Okay. Talk to you then."

Callum didn't move right away, and it was Harrow who hung up first. Slowly, as if functioning on a delayed autopilot, he turned off his phone and tucked it away in his bag.

He and his dad rarely argued, which Callum had always felt pretty blessed for. When Harrow raised his voice, it meant something serious had to be going on.

Callum was afraid to know why that meeting had been called.

Well, he supposed an afternoon in City Park with Rayla wouldn't be _that_ bad. His downtown-date plans could wait until another day. Besides - they were better suited for the evening rather than an afternoon outing, anyways.

Maybe he was trying too hard to convince himself.

Callum waited another fifteen or so minutes before he left to pick up Rayla, knowing the drive to her dorm would take less than five minutes. That didn't stop him from putting on one of Spotify's daily mixes on the way there, of course. He never knew what to expect with those, as he, Claudia, and Soren all shared a premium account. Their vastly different tastes in music made recommendations... interesting, to say the least. Though it wasn't like they had zero artists in common. For example, they all liked Queen, because they all wished they could sing like Freddie Mercury.

He pulled into the dorm's parking lot at exactly 3:30. Only one song had fully played through and he'd had no idea what it was. Rayla was already waiting outside and as soon as the car stopped she opened the door and climbed into the passenger seat.

Callum chuckled as she reached back to grab her seat belt. "You know, I would have gone up to your door to get you."

Rayla rolled her eyes. "Of course I know that, dummy. But I also know that you're ridiculously punctual, and" - she tapped the clock on the dash of his car - "would you look at that, it's 3:30. You're exactly on time."

Her callout was simultaneously endearing and embarrassing, as it was cute she'd paid such attention to notice his timeliness but also humiliating because he really was obsessed with staying on schedule. "Anyways," he said pointedly, prepping for a change in subject, "I must admit that I do come bearing some bad news."

Rayla raised an eyebrow. "Really? How bad?"

"I mean, like, not the _worst_ news."

"Gee, thanks. Way to narrow it down for me."

Callum laughed. "Sorry, sorry. I guess I should have been basic and said that I have good news and bad news." He turned down the volume of the music. "The bad news is that my dad has been called to a conference out of the blue and won't be back until late tomorrow, which means I have to watch Ezran today, including picking him up in about half an hour. In other words, we'll have to postpone the original plans I had in mind for our date."

Rayla blinked, clearly processing all of the information. "Okay."

"But the good news is that today should still be a lot of fun!" Hopefully. "We're going to the park?" He didn't know why his last sentence had come out as a question. Probably because he was just a tad bit worried that she'd be angry, or worse, _disappointed_, by the sudden change in plans.

Rayla seemed to pick up on his anxiety, and reached out to give his hand a squeeze. "Any time I get to spend with you is wonderful, Callum. I don't care what we do or where we go as long as we're together."

Callum didn't respond immediately, and he knew his face had to be growing more red by the second. "God," he muttered, breaking eye contact with her. "That was so cheesy."

Rayla laughed, and she leaned over to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. "Only today. Consider yourself lucky that I've allowed you to even witness my cheesiness. You are one of a few." She pulled her hand out of his. "What are you waiting for, then? Let's get moving! I think going to the park counts as the first part on my tour of the city."

Callum hesitated. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Yes, Callum, like I told you. Besides - you said you'd reschedule your original plans, so it's not like I'm missing out forever. Things are just a bit delayed."

Callum couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend's can-do, easygoing attitude. "Alright. I guess I'll believe you." He unlocked his phone and handed it to her before backing out of his parking spot and pulling out onto the road. "I give you control of the music. Play whatever you want."

He knew she was smirking, even though he kept his eyes on the road. "Whatever I want, you say?"

"Within reason," he corrected. "But honestly, there's no way your taste can be as strange as Soren's."

Rayla snorted as she scrolled through Spotify. "Well, we'll see about that." She paused. "Erm, why do you have a Ke$ha playlist? No shade, of course." She glanced at him. "I just never pegged you to be into her."

"Oh, no. That's Claudia's." Callum flicked on his left turn signal as he stopped at a red light. "I share a premium account with her and Soren. The only rule we have is no adding to or renaming anyone's playlists, so we have free range to make fun of each other about the artists we listen to."

Rayla nodded in understanding. "Nice. Fight the system."

"Agreed."

The conversation lulled to a peaceful quiet as Rayla continued scrolling through songs and Callum focused on navigating through a difficult intersection.

He couldn't help but glance at his girlfriend every so often - once he was on a straight road, of course. She was just... perfect. And he knew that was an unfair standard to hold her to, because of course she wasn't really perfect, but her presence felt almost too good to be true. She was funny, she was supportive, she was confident, and she -

She _liked _him. She genuinely liked him. She didn't care that he sometimes stuttered or that he'd much rather stay at home and sketch or even study than go out and party. Not only did she not care, but oftentimes she'd opted to stay in _with_ him. Even today she hadn't minded the last-minute change in their plans, and that was after he'd hyped up what they were going to do.

Not to mention the added bonus of her being impossibly beautiful.

Callum was broken out of his thoughts by the sound of Taylor Swift floating through his car. Specifically, Taylor Swift's "Lover". He raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend.

"Don't judge me! She's very talented."

"I'm not judging you," he protested as he turned right off the highway, knowing a shortcut to the park. "I just wouldn't have guessed you were a Swiftie." The dark clothes she often wore gave the impression of… well, not goth, because she never wore black, but of someone who still probably listened to rock and maybe a dash of heavy metal.

He noticed that today she was wearing a denim jacket over a dark purple romper. She looked… _amazing_. He just didn't know whether he was supposed to point that out or not. Surely _she_ knew she looked fantastic. Did she really need him to tell her? But most people liked receiving compliments on their appearance, especially on special occasions like dates - wow, he was really overthinking this.

He'd tell her. Eventually.

"Well, I wouldn't call myself a Swiftie. But you can't tell me her music isn't good," Rayla insisted, placing his phone in a cupholder. "That's just the facts."

Callum laughed. "Rayla, I promise I am not judging you. Or your music taste. Taylor Swift is fine." He was a fan of a few of her songs, too. "Blank Space" went pretty hard, in his opinion.

The rest of the drive to the park consisted mostly of them talking about Renaissance History and the upcoming football game, with Rayla cutting herself off every now and then to sing along to particular lyrics. Callum didn't mind the interruptions. It was pretty adorable.

She was Rayla, after all.

"What did you say this park is called again?" she asked as Callum pulled his car into an empty spot.

"City Park," Callum replied. "Literally the most uncreative name I have ever heard, but the park itself is great. One section has lots of trees and grass and flowers and a little pond, another part is a playground, another part is a dog park, and another part is a soccer field that I think people also play rugby at. And quidditch. The entire park was actually built and landscaped during an economic depression as a public works project to provide jobs for people left unemployed."

Rayla nodded as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "That's pretty cool." She waited until they'd both climbed out of the car before continuing. "Fun fact: Xadia isn't terribly impacted by your economic depressions. For one, we didn't have trade relations with places like Katolis until, like, super recently. We also didn't majorly industrialize until the past few decades because it was only then we realized that industrialization was necessary if Xadia wanted to keep up with Katolis and Duren and everyone else our country borders. Still, even today a lot of areas are self-sustaining."

Callum whistled, impressed, as he popped open the trunk of his car. He loved learning about Xadia. But he couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a joke. "So... What I'm hearing is that you're lowkey a country girl?"

Rayla groaned. "Do not _ever_ call me a country girl. I'm sure it's technically true, but I know what that term connotes here in Katolis, and I do not at all ascribe to those stereotypes."

He laughed at her comment. "Using words like 'connote' and 'ascribe' without being in a classroom? Wow, Rayla, you are such an English major." He grabbed a blanket out of the back of his car before closing the trunk and pressing a button on his keychain to lock it.

"What's that for?" Rayla asked, gesturing to the blanket as they began their trek through the park.

Callum noticed she'd hadn't asked where they were going - she'd simply trusted where he was leading. The thought almost made him giddy. But he raised an eyebrow at her question. "You _want_ to sit on the grass for a half hour with the fire ants while we wait for Ezran to be done?" He smirked. "I didn't take you to be _that_ much of a country girl -"

"Oh my God, shut up," Rayla grumbled, giving his shoulder a good-natured shove. "You are literally the worst."

Callum snickered at her reaction and slipped his hand into hers. The fresh air must have been emboldening him. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

Rayla snorted. "Damn right you are." But she was smiling.

They ended up setting the blanket down beneath a tree, Callum sitting and taking out his sketchbook while Rayla took off her jacket before pulling out her phone and idly scrolling through Instagram.

Callum continued to work on his picture merging KSU's stadium and the Roman Colosseum. He'd almost finished the stadium half, which meant he'd soon be able to work on the Colosseum. The classics nerd in him was ecstatic about that prospect and it took all of his willpower to prevent himself from rushing through the final parts of the stadium.

"Aw, look at this picture Claudia posted on her spam." Rayla lifted her phone to show him a photo of Soren holding a very tiny calico kitten in his hands. "Looks like they're having fun… somewhere?"

"Claudia works part-time at an animal shelter, I think," he mused. "And Soren sometimes volunteers with her." He'd gone with them once or twice, but he was pretty sure he was allergic to dogs, so he'd often left with red eyes and a runny nose. Not fun.

"Aw. That's sweet of him. I mean, I don't have siblings, but if I did." She laughed. "I hope I'd get along with them as well as those two do with each other."

Callum placed his hand over his heart in mock-hurt. "What about Ezran and I? Is our brotherly bond not the strongest you've ever seen?"

"Please, the two of you don't count. You guys get along _too_ well to be siblings."

Callum tilted his head to the side, acknowledging her point. He and Ez _did _get along eerily well. Probably had something to do with the age gap between them that Soren and Claudia didn't have. "Okay. Fair enough."

Rayla glanced down at his sketchbook before hastily looking away. "Do I have permission to see what you are currently working on?"

"Of course," Callum replied immediately. "You can look at any of them."

Rayla raised an eyebrow, a small smile forming on her lips. "Really? Any of them?"

Callum's words finished processing in his mind, and he blushed. "I mean - okay, maybe not _any_ of them, but -"

Rayla's soft laughter interrupted him, and she took his hand in hers before giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's fine, dummy. You don't need to justify yourself to me. You have your reasons for showing and not showing your art and I respect that."

He leaned his head on her shoulder. "You are so amazing. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do," she scoffed, resting her head atop his own. She paused, then added, "But that doesn't mean you should stop reminding me."

Callum chuckled, lifting his head and turning his upper body to face her directly. "You, Rayla Moonshadow, are the most amazing person I have ever met."

"Okay, I didn't mean _now_ -"

Callum ignored her protests. "You're strong, and - and smart, and funny and beautiful and..." He trailed off, his hand reaching up to touch her earlobe. "And you have your ears pierced?"

Rayla laughed and nodded, reaching up to adjust the crescent moon earring and not-so-accidentally brushing his hand with her own. "Yes. I just don't wear earrings much. They tend to get in the way when I'm playing football or practicing martial arts or - or doing any physical activity, really. Also, if someone were to attack me out of the blue, earrings are easy to grab and would effectively cause me tremendous pain if yanked."

Sometimes he forgot how thought-out Rayla's decisions could be. She was impulsive, yes, but when she put her mind to planning something, there wouldn't be a single factor unaccounted for. "Well, they look cute," he finally said. "I like them."

"Well, you're cute," she replied. "And I like you."

There was a beat of silence. Then they both broke out laughing.

"I'm so sorry," Rayla managed to say. "I think that's the lamest thing I have ever said."

"No, no, I think it's the _best_ thing you've ever said."

"The lamest and the best, then. It can be both."

Their laughter gradually died down, and Callum was fairly certain that amidst their giggling they'd both moved closer to each other. Their eyes met, and he was reminded again of just how piercing her gaze could be, even when the only emotion behind them seemed to be pure affection.

"Did I mention that you look gorgeous today?" he murmured, the words barely catching enough air to be heard.

"Not until now. But you look gorgeous, too," was Rayla's mumbled response, and then their lips crashed together. It was not a messy kiss, by any means, but there was a desperation behind it that had not been present in any of their previous kisses. Callum found himself leaning in further, wanting to eliminate any and all space between them. Rayla seemed to have the same idea, because she wrapped her arms around his waist and tugged him closer to her. He had to drop his hand to the ground to keep from toppling over.

"Huh," she breathed as he slowly pulled away, her arms still wrapped around him. "That was fun."

Callum resisted the urge to jokingly roll his eyes, though he couldn't stop the delighted grin growing on his face. "You have such a way with words. Your English degree will be well-earned."

She groaned and shoved him away, the passionate moment gone and yet replaced by something lighthearted that was just as intoxicating. "You are such a bully. I'm breaking up with you."

"No, don't do that!" he protested, laughing. "How about -" He grabbed his sketchbook. "Will showing you one of my recent pieces placate you?"

Rayla tapped her chin, as if considering his suggestion. "Hmm..." She grinned at him. "Alright, prince. I suppose that will have to do." She winked at him. "Though your use of 'placate' was also really hot."

Callum ignored her teasing and opened his sketchbook to a family portrait he'd been working on every now and then over the last month. "Obviously you recognize me, and Ezran, and my dad," he said, pointing to each of them as he spoke. "But -"

"I think you're cuter in real life," Rayla interrupted with a smirk, tapping the picture of him. "But overall, not a terrible rendition."

"Ha ha," Callum said, rolling his eyes and trying - likely unsuccessfully - to distract her from the fact that he was blushing. "You think you're so funny."

"I don't think - I _know_," she retorted, snickering. She then returned her attention to the picture. "Who's this?" she asked, pointing at the woman with short dark hair and a scar beneath her right eye. "You kind of look like her."

Callum couldn't stop himself from smiling at the thought. "That's my Aunt Amaya. My mom's sister. They served in the military together for a long time. Aunt Amaya is a general, actually, but now she mostly serves as an ambassador of sorts. She was supposed to be in town last month, but something I legally am not allowed to know about was rescheduled and she couldn't make it."

Rayla nodded. "That sucks. I guess you don't get to see her much, then?"

Callum shook his head, sighing. "Yeah. It's been like a year and a half since her last visit." He paused, then forced a smile on his face. This was a date - it was supposed to be fun! "Hopefully you'll get to meet her before you go back to Xadia. She's supposed to come in for winter break. Although, she might be a bit... wary of you. At first."

Rayla raised an eyebrow. "Is that code for she's a bit 'old-fashioned'?"

Callum resisted the urge to laugh at her dramatic usage of finger quotations. "A little. But I think she'd come around quickly. My dad would have something to say if she didn't."

Rayla smiled at him before returning her attention to the portrait. Her fingers brushed over the empty spot between Harrow and Amaya. "For your mother?" she guessed.

Callum nodded. "She died in a combat mission. I was seven. Ezran had just started preschool. I think my aunt sometimes blames herself, but we all know there was nothing she could have done."

Rayla placed her hand atop her boyfriend's, gently curling her fingers over his knuckles. "You miss her."

It was a statement, not a question. Callum knew that Rayla, of all people, would understand. "Yeah." Callum flipped to the previous page in his sketchbook, where a full portrait of his mother gazed up at him with a warm smile. "I do." He leaned to rest his head on Rayla's shoulder, glancing up at her. "But I have you. Ezran. My dad. Aunt Amaya. Claudia and Soren." He chuckled. "Even their dad, though Viren's always been a bit of a stick-in-the-mud."

Rayla smiled at his comment, though she said nothing.

Callum then realized how insensitive his rambling had to seem. Here he was, talking about missing his mom and how he'd sort of built a new family as a result, while Rayla was thousands of miles away from her home in a country where most people were less-than-welcoming towards her. God, he needed to -

"I know that face." Rayla tapped his nose, causing him to blink in surprise before he slowly sat up. "That's the 'I'm about to apologize for something unnecessary' face."

Callum blushed. "No, I -"

"Stop talking or I'll have to hit you, you big dummy."

Callum was saved from having to think of a witty comeback when his phone buzzed. It was Ezran, letting him know that his after-school event had ended and that he needed to be signed out before he could leave.

"Looks like we have to get moving," Callum said to Rayla after telling his brother that they were on their way. He stuck his phone and his sketchbook into his satchel. "They shouldn't be too far from here. Ez told me earlier that they were going to examine the different park benches on the east side to look for examples of hostile architecture."

"Ooh. That's actually pretty cool. I never got to do that kind of stuff in high school." Rayla stood, putting on her jacket and dusting her romper off before helping her boyfriend to his feet.

The two folded the blanket together. Callum stuck it under his arm before offering Rayla his hand, and they made their way across the park together. After five or so minutes of walking they were able to see a small crowd of students surrounding a cluster of benches and tables - a picnic area, presumably.

"Hey guys!" Ezran shouted with a cheery wave as he saw them approaching. He turned to face a tall, dark-haired man, and Callum vaguely heard him say something about his ride being here. He then gestured for Callum and Rayla to come towards him.

"Callum, Rayla," Ezran began once they'd arrived at his side, "this is Mr. Kasef. He's Mrs. Lopez's new assistant teacher!"

Callum quickly signed the paper to show that Ezran had been picked up before shaking the teacher's hand. "I don't think I recognize you. How long have you been working with Mrs. Lopez?"

"Just started this week," the man explained. "It's part of my assistantship program for my master's with KSU."

"Oh, you go to KSU?" Callum said, surprised. "So do we! I'm just a freshman, and Rayla is a sophomore."

Kasef paused as he was shaking Rayla's hand. "Rayla," he mused, frowning. "Where have I heard that name before?"

Rayla winced. She clearly had a bad feeling about where this conversation was about to go. "Ah. Well, I'm the new exchange student, so maybe -"

Kasef immediately jerked his hand away. "You're the Xadian?" he snarled. "Who let you out of your cage?"

Rayla seemed so taken aback by his sudden animosity that she said nothing in response, only staring at him in shock.

Callum, too, was rendered speechless. The only defense he could muster was to throw out his arm protectively in front of his girlfriend.

Ezran had not been so incapacitated. "Don't talk to her like that!" he protested, drawing the attention of his remaining classmates.

"Ezran, you do not need to lower yourself to defend her," Kasef snapped. "She's _Xadian_. She doesn't belong here! Hell, she's probably not even smart enough to attend KSU." He shook his head in disgust. "But don't worry. I'll make sure to tell Mrs. Lopez that you care more about some random foreigner than you do your own countrymen."

Callum was raring to shout at him for his bigotry as well as for yelling at his little brother, but Ezran beat him to it.

"Mrs. Lopez isn't even from Katolis, so have fun getting her on your side with that stupid argument. And I'll make sure to tell my dad - the head of KSU, if you didn't know - about your bigotry and intolerance! Hope you liked this job while you had it, because you're going to lose it before you can even _blink_." Ezran glared at him. "Rayla earned her place at KSU, Mr. Kasef. I bet she had to work at least twice as hard as you did to get in, too! And yet all you can see is her nationality." He paused, his fist clenching, and he shook his head in disgust. "No. All you can see is your _own_ nationality. You imagine yourself as - as superior, and for what?! To boost your own selfish ego?!"

Kasef rolled his eyes, but Callum could see that he was starting to get unnerved. "Please. I'm not even _from_ Katolis. I just don't think we need Xadians -"

"Well, _I_ don't think you should work here anymore," Ezran interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest. "I probably can't get you expelled, but like I said, I _will_ get you fired." Without allowing his teacher a chance to respond, he grabbed Callum and Rayla's hands and began pulling them away, leaving his stunned classmates behind.

He waited until they were out of earshot before he stopped, letting go of them. "I'm sorry," he said to Rayla. "I know it wasn't my place to say anything, but I couldn't just stand there while he was such a _jerk_ to you, and -"

Rayla stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug, cutting off his apology. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, Ez." She sighed. "It's silly, but I wish _more _people would step in for me like that, when it's clear I'm at a loss of what to do on my own. It's because of people like you that I haven't given up and gone back to Xadia."

"Really?" Ezran asked, his voice muffled by Rayla's jacket.

"Uh huh," she said, gently releasing him from the hug. "Really."

Callum reached out and squeezed his brother's shoulder, warmth blossoming in his chest. "I'm so proud of you, Ez. I know people way older than you who wouldn't have had the guts to do that." Hell, he himself had been too stunned by such outright bigotry - in front of a bunch of high schoolers, no less - that he hadn't been able to gather his thoughts in time to properly speak up in his girlfriend's defense.

Ezran's soft smile turned into a wide grin. "_How_ proud would you say you are, exactly?"

Callum blinked. "Er, very proud?"

Ezran's grin then became a sly smirk. "Proud enough for ice cream, by any chance?"

Ah. Callum should have known he was being manipulated.

"Of course!" Rayla answered in his stead, pulling a twenty out of her jacket's left pocket. "My treat."

"Absolutely not," Callum protested as they began making their way towards his car. "I'm paying."

"Don't be sexist," Rayla retorted, though she was grinning. "Besides, he spoke up on _my_ behalf, so I'm the one who owes him. And this is part of the monthly money I was allotted by the school, anyways, so you could argue you're kind of paying in that respect."

That was not at all how it worked, but Callum knew there was no way he could win this argument, so he relented. When Rayla put her mind to something, that was that. "Alright. But next time -"

"Yes, you can pay. Deal."

"As long as _I_ don't have to pay," Ezran piped in, earning laughter from both of them.

Callum knew there would be more people like Kasef. He knew there'd be more times when Rayla would be too stunned to speak up for herself. Hell, he knew there'd be more times when he'd be too shocked or too scared to defend Rayla the way he should, although he was definitely working on that last one. But as long as people like Ezran existed - well, the people like Kasef… They'd always lose in the end.

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**It's a coincidence that this chapter is being uploaded in the midst of everything going on right now (I've had it written since probably January? maybe February?), but maybe it's actually a sign from the universe. Sometimes we're Rayla - treated unfairly for things out of our control (race, religion, sexuality, gender). Sometimes we're Callum - well-intentioned but overwhelmed and unsure of what to do (and that's okay! what's important is that we educate ourselves and do better!). Sometimes we're Ezran - speaking up in defense of what's right and condemning bigotry when we see it (and obviously that type of allyship is always the goal, so long as we recognize that "speaking up" for someone does NOT equal "speaking over" them). I'm not really sure where I was going with this, but I felt it was worth pointing out. Thank you for reading!**


	13. don't bring hate to a date

**1\. If you're American (US), remember that Mount Rushmore is carved into the Black Hills ("The Six Grandfathers"), which are sacred to the Lakota Sioux tribe. In other words, Mount Rushmore is literally the peak example of desecration, colonialism, and anti-indigenous sentiment. How can we celebrate the 4th of July when not all Americans were liberated then?**

**2\. Follow on Instagram! I've only just been introduced to their page, but they publish lots of informative resources pretty regularly. (They posted today explaining the history of Mount Rushmore that I summarized above!)**

**You know how I said last chapter I was a little over halfway done writing this story? Now, two weeks later, I have three chapters left to write (by hand, of course; typing and editing comes later). That's ****_insane_****. When I started this fic, I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to finish. But the TDP fandom is possibly the most supportive one I've ever been in, and it's thanks to your kind reviews and dedication to this story that it will be completed! Of course, there is still a long way to go for you guys (this is chapter 13 out of 40 or 41, after all!), and I am so excited to see your reactions to how everything progresses. I hope you enjoy :)**

xXxXxXx

"So, do I get a celebratory kiss for scoring 28 of tonight's 49 points?" Rayla said with a smirk as she pulled off her helmet, dropping it to her side as she placed her other hand on her hip. Her hair was tumbling messily out of its bun and her shoulder pads were heavily askew, but nonetheless she looked radiant in the setting sun.

Callum found himself immediately turning red at her request. The crowd of players and fans swarming the field around them was also dizzying, which certainly didn't help his composure. "Maybe - uh, maybe when there's fewer people?" he managed to get out, instinctively stepping closer to her and squeezing his eyes shut.

Rayla, the brilliant, perceptive goddess among mortals that she was, immediately picked up on his anxiety. She slipped her free hand into his and began guiding him off the field, chattering aimlessly about different plays she'd run during the game in an obvious attempt to keep his mind off the crowd - an attempt Callum very much appreciated, even if it was only moderately successful.

Finally, they stopped walking. "Okay, we're off the field now," Rayla said. "You can breathe easy."

Callum opened his eyes as Rayla sat him down on a bench, letting out the breath he definitely knew he had been holding. "Thanks."

"No need to thank me," she said with a cheeky grin, ruffling his hair. "Just wait here while I take a quick shower. Then we can finally go on that date we had to reschedule. Sound good?"

Callum gave her a grateful smile. "Sounds perfect."

Rayla placed a quick kiss on his forehead before disappearing into the girls' locker room, and Callum had to resist the urge to sigh dreamily as he watched her go. It was amazing how quickly Rayla could turn his mood from stressed to blessed - rhyme intended, because her love of poetry was definitely rubbing off on him.

While he waited, Callum decided to work on one of the pictures that would ultimately become his brother's birthday presents. It felt like yesterday he'd had two-odd months to prepare - now it was closer to two weeks. Fortunately, the line art for both of the pictures were done. Now all he had to do was color.

Ugh. What a pain.

Not that he disliked coloring, but coloring had always been what he was most likely to mess up. Something about the general existence of blending was incredibly anxiety-inducing. Which was why he generally preferred charcoal. But this picture was for Ezran, who _loved_ color. He wanted it to be perfect for him. On the plus side, of course, Ezran was very much a believer in the "there are no mistakes in art" mantra, which meant he loved _any_ art of Callum's. His brother was definitely his #1 supporter.

"Oh, hey! Callum!"

Callum looked up upon hearing his name, barely managing to plaster a smile onto his face as Felix sat down onto the bench next to him. "Hey," he said, instinctively closing his notebook. He tried not to shut it too quickly, though. That would look... 'weird' was probably an understatement. Also rude. Callum faltered for words before finally saying, "Er... Nice game."

Felix chuckled. "Thanks. But it was really Rayla and Soren who carried it. And the O-line, of course, because Soren would be powerless without them. I only had like... 36 total yards?"

Callum shrugged. "I mean, that's better than zero total yards."

Felix grinned. "Alright, fair point." He gestured to the girls' locker room. "Rayla in there?"

Callum nodded. For some reason he felt oddly satisfied that his girlfriend was unavailable. Which couldn't be good.

"Will you pass on a message for me, then? Normally I'd hang here until she came out, but I have people waiting on me right now," he said with a laugh.

Callum hesitated, but couldn't think of a valid reason to refuse. Darn. "Yeah. Sure."

"Don't worry, it's simple. Me and a few friends on and off the team are going to Live After Five tonight. You know, the music event downtown. You and Rayla are both welcome to join us. It should be a good time."

Callum stiffened at the player's words, though he did his best to hide it. He'd already planned to take Rayla to Live After Five that evening for their first real date - now he wasn't sure he wanted to go. Not if the football team was going to be there. It wasn't even that he hated the football team or anything, because most of them - including Felix, as much as he wished he could find a valid reason to dislike him - were pretty chill guys that had always been friendly and welcoming to him.

So what was making him feel so nauseous?

"Hello? Callum? You still there, dude?"

Callum flushed as he realized that he'd zoned out and had as a result been silent way longer than was necessary. "Sorry," he mumbled before clearing his throat. "Got lost in thought for a second." He offered Felix a weak smile. "Yeah, I'll pass the message along."

"Great! Thanks, fam." Felix grinned and clapped him on the shoulder before standing and dusting off the front of his pants. "Hope to see you two there!"

"Yeah. Hopefully." Callum managed a half-hearted wave goodbye as Felix left down the hall from which he'd entered. He tried to return his focus onto the drawing for Ez, but he couldn't seem to switch his brain back into 'art mode'.

He needed to figure out what was going on with himself. His inexplicable dislike of Felix was getting to be a hindrance.

"Ready to go?"

Callum turned to see that Rayla had emerged from the girls' locker room, her football uniform replaced by a lavender crop top and high-waisted jeggings. Her hair was damp but not dripping, and she'd chosen to let it hang freely around her face - probably to help it dry faster. Sometimes he forgot the natural wave her hair had.

"You look... great," he said before his brain was able to finish processing the compliment. He felt his face start to redden, and he hastily added, "I mean, not that you don't always look great, because you do, you just look… extra good?" Brilliant ending on his part. That was why Rayla was the English major and not him.

She chuckled at his flustered behavior. "Thank you, Callum. I would tell you that you look, quote, 'extra good', too, but..." Her expression of amusement was replaced by one of concern. She sat down next to him and placed the back of her hand on his forehead. "You actually look a little pale. Are you feeling okay? Do you have a fever?"

He'd praised her perceptiveness less than a half hour earlier, but now Callum found himself wishing his girlfriend was a little _less _observant. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, trying to sound reassuring. "Just a little worn out from a - a nasty physics exam I had earlier today." Which wasn't totally a lie. He took her hand off his forehead and gave it a gentle squeeze. "But don't worry. I feel much better now that I'm with you."

Rayla blushed at his words, though she still appeared skeptical of his reassurance. She didn't comment on it again, though, for which Callum was grateful. "Well... Alright." She grinned at him. "Does this mean you're finally going to tell me what our date tonight is?"

Callum pretended to deeply consider her question as he tucked his sketchbook into his bag before they began walking out of the stadium together. "Hmm..." He grinned and slipped his right hand into her left one. "I suppose you've waited to find out long enough." They turned to take a back exit out of the stadium and avoid the crowd still on the field. "We're going downtown to an event called Live After Five, where they feature small bands and solo artists to help them get more publicity."

"Ooh, that is pretty cool," Rayla said, her eyes twinkling in excitement. "So, who's performing tonight?"

"A local band called Katolis Revival. I've only heard a couple songs, but I think they're pretty good. I did a little googling of them earlier, and the most interesting thing I learned is that all of their songs double as slam poetry!"

"Okay, now I know I'm going to love them," Rayla said with a laugh. She glanced at her boyfriend as they headed into the parking lot, an amused glint dancing in her violet eyes. "I never took you to be a poetry person after the emotionally-devastating 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day' struggle I witnessed you endure."

Callum shuddered at the reminder. The ghost of Shakespeare would forever haunt him. "Look, I like poetry. I just don't like _sonnets_. There is a distinct difference."

Rayla rolled her eyes, but she was grinning. "Whatever you say, prince." She released his hand and walked around his car to get to the passenger seat. "Whatever you say."

Callum laughed as he, too, climbed into his car. "I know that tone. Don't talk down on me, young lady."

Rayla finished buckling in before she placed a hand over her mouth and innocently fluttered her eyelashes. "Why, I haven't any idea what you're referring to."

Callum's laughter only increased at the ridiculous act, and as a result he nearly dropped his key while trying to put it in the ignition. "God. Never do that again, please."

Rayla snickered, adjusting the AC vent directed at her as Callum began backing his car out of its parking spot. "Absolutely not. I'll have you know that I'm a comedic genius."

Callum rolled his eyes but couldn't stop himself from smiling at her playful indignation. "Right. A comedic genius. Definitely how I'd describe you."

"I'll have you know that I'm the funniest person on the football team!"

"And I'm sure there's a _ton_ of competition for that position." The smile on his face faded at the mention of the football team as he suddenly remembered who else was going to be at Live After Five, and he didn't fully process Rayla's response. He needed to get a grip. Seriously - what was going on with him? "Oh, by the way," he said, trying to sound super casual, "I forgot to mention that we might run into some familiar faces at Live After Five tonight."

"Ooh, really?" Rayla pulled a comb out of the backpack that she'd left in Callum's car and began detangling her damp hair. "Who?"

"Uh... some of the football team, according to Felix." He paused, then added, "I think he said something about a few friends off the team, too, so maybe... Claudia?" He didn't really know anyone connected to the football team who wasn't also on it other than Claudia.

Rayla whistled, then winced as her comb got caught on a particularly tough knot. "So what I'm hearing is that our date might end up transmuting to become a massive group gathering."

Callum bit back a sigh, determined to keep himself from dampening the evening any further. "Uh... I guess so? We can try to avoid them if you want." Which he kind of wanted. Not that he'd admit it aloud.

Rayla laughed and stuck her comb back into her bag. "No, it's fine. I'm not worried." She winked at him, a smirk dancing on her lips. "I'm sure we'll stumble across a private corner at some point. That's when we can _really_ have fun."

The blood rushed to Callum's face at her words, which of course only made his girlfriend laugh harder. "Ugh. You're not funny."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Rayla apologized, wiping tears from her eyes as he mock-glared at her. "You're just so easy to tease. And you look so cute when you're flustered!"

"Uh huh." Callum turned right onto the boulevard that would take them downtown. "I feel like now would be an opportune time for me to mention that you have severely lessened your chances of getting a celebratory kiss at _any _point this evening."

Rayla gasped dramatically. It would have been more convincing had it not been for the wide grin on her face. "No! I take it back. I never said a word."

The rest of the drive was lighthearted and full of off-key singing to the first _Frozen_ soundtrack, including an entertaining role-swap of "Love is an Open Door". It was so fun, in fact, that Callum was almost able to make himself forget that their date was soon going to be crashed by a bunch of football players. Felix included.

Key word being 'almost'.

The world apparently decided to rub that fact in his face, too, because they'd only been out of the car and wandering around downtown to pass time for a little over fifteen minutes before they ran into Felix, Soren, a blonde guy Callum thought was named Jason, and a boy with vibrant indigo hair that Callum didn't recognize.

"Hey, I was hoping we'd see you guys!" Felix said with an elated grin that made Callum's stomach roll. "We're about to meet Claudia and Emilé at Boudreaux's for beignets. Care to join us?"

Rayla glanced at Callum, as if silently asking what he preferred to do. He tried to shrug indifferently, though he wasn't sure it came across as such.

"Sure," she replied, smiling at the group. Then her smile faltered. "Er, what are 'beignets'?"

Felix gasped and looped his arm through Rayla's, pulling her forward as he began guiding her to a small café down the street. "How have you been in Katolis for two months and you haven't had beignets yet?"

Callum found himself trailing behind the small group. As much he adored Rayla, and even for as long as he'd known Soren, he was keenly aware that he didn't really fit in amongst their sporty friends. They were always incredibly nice to him, which he appreciated, but he knew the list of common interests between them would never be longer than 'school', 'Soren', and now 'Rayla'.

"Hey."

Callum turned to his left, blinking in surprise as he realized the indigo-haired boy was now walking beside him. "Uh - hi?"

"I've seen you before," the boy continued. He had a faint accent - Spanish, maybe? Callum wasn't sure, and he didn't want to seem rude by asking. In general he often found himself afraid to ask people personal questions - hurray for social anxiety? "At football games. I think at Felix's party, too. But I don't believe we've ever been properly introduced." He offered him a small smile. "I'm Lucas."

"Callum."

"Nice to meet you, Callum." The guy's voice had a musical lilt to it, which was… oddly pleasing to the ear. Lucas then gestured to Rayla, who was laughing at something Felix had said to her. Callum pretended not to notice the way his stomach clenched at her reaction. "So, how long have the two of you been dating?"

Callum opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish at Lucas's query, unsure of how he'd so quickly figured out his and Rayla's relationship. They hadn't even been holding hands when they'd run into the group. "Only about a week," he finally admitted. "Why?"

Lucas shrugged. "No reason."

He said nothing further, and Callum decided not to press that subject. Not fond of the awkward silence that followed, however, he then asked, "Are you on the football team, too?" If he was, Callum hadn't seen him on the field before.

Lucas chuckled. "Felix tries to tell me I'm an honorary member of the team, but no. I'm a cheerleader."

Callum nodded, impressed. He'd always admired cheerleaders - he was fairly certain cheerleading was one of the most intense sports to ever exist. Second maybe to chariot racing. "Oh, that's cool. I'll keep an eye out for you at the next game."

"Thanks. Felix encouraged me to join the team when he was a freshman and I was a sophomore. Listening to him and then actually going through with the tryout were probably two of the best decisions of my life."

"Oh, nice. That's pretty cool."

A comfortable silence fell between the two, though Felix, Jason, and Soren's chatter combined with the usual downtown music floating through the air around them meant 'silence' was more of a figurative term. Rayla's laughter was a constant presence, too.

As they walked, Callum couldn't help but notice how Lucas was staring at Felix, the reason he noticed being that he originally thought the senior had been looking at Rayla. There was a strange softness in his brown eyes - a look that Callum found eerily familiar, but couldn't quite place a finger on where he'd seen it before.

They arrived at the café a few minutes later, and upon entering found that Claudia had already arrived, snagged a large table, and ordered several plates of beignets.

"You each owe me five bucks," Claudia said with a smirk as everyone began sitting down. Callum made sure to snag the seat to her left. "Except for Rayla. The MVP of the game is free."

Rayla laughed as she sat down on Callum's open side. "I appreciate the gesture, Claudia, but I think I can spare five dollars."

"Yeah!" Soren agreed, sitting across from his sister. "Besides, I think my amazing skills as a quarterback contributed to Rayla's success tonight, too."

Claudia snorted. "How humble of you."

"As if," Felix said to Soren, smirking. "Everyone knows that Rayla could play an entire team by herself and win."

Rayla cringed at the idea, though she was grinning. "Love the flattery, Felix, but let's never, ever, _ever_ test that theory, okay? Thanks in advance."

Everyone laughed at her comment, and Callum gradually found himself relaxing amongst the group for the first time since arriving downtown. Maybe this evening wouldn't be so bad after all. Although, he didn't really like that Felix was sitting across from Rayla. Not that he could figure out why. Puberty really was hell.

"Oh, Emilé texted me that they can't make it," Claudia said, thumbing powdered sugar from the beignets off the corner of her lips. "Something about a last-minute babysitting emergency that they had to deal with for their neighbor."

"Aww, too bad," Felix said with a disappointed frown. "It's been forever since we've been able to properly hang out with them."

"On the bright side," Soren added, ever the optimist, "that means more beignets for us!" And though they all laughed at his eagerness, no one disagreed.

As the conversation shifted back to the game, Callum found his attention drawn to Rayla when she picked up a beignet finger and studied it with suspicion.

"It's not poisoned, you know," he said teasingly, unable to keep an amused grin off his face as he watched her. His comment earned an eye roll from his girlfriend. "Seriously. Just eat it. Trust me - everyone likes beignets."

"It looks like deep-fried diabetes coated in sugar," Rayla protested with a grimace.

"Maybe. But it tastes heavenly," Callum countered, plucking the beignet his girlfriend was examining out of her hand and eating it. Ignoring her affronted expression, he selected another beignet coated in powdered sugar and handed it to her, doing his best to stop it from shedding sugar all over the table. "Try this one. It'll be really sweet." He was well aware of Rayla's sweet tooth, though Ezran still had her beaten by a mile.

Rayla gave him a suspicious glare but took a bite. The way her eyes proceeded to light up was possibly the most adorable thing Callum had ever seen.

"It's so good!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand. "And probably the most unhealthy thing I've ever eaten, but... Wow. Holy crap. It's delicious!"

Callum couldn't help but laugh at her response. "Told you so."

"Yeah, yeah. Hush up."

Rayla winked at him before finishing off the beignet finger, grabbing a napkin from the middle of the table to wipe the now-sticky sugar off her fingers. As she did so, Callum noticed there was a bit of powdered sugar dusting the tip of her nose. But before he could point it out -

"Oh, Ray. You've got a little something there."

Callum's fists clenched so tightly his nails would undoubtedly leave indents in his palms as Felix reached across the table and gently brushed the sugar off Rayla's nose. Who did he think he was? Invading his girlfriend's personal space, calling her by a cute nickname, constantly trying to keep her around him, and - oh.

Oh, no.

Not again.

Well, at least Callum finally understood why being around Felix made him so nauseous. Or maybe 'finally accepted' would be more accurate.

He was _jealous_.

As much as this revelation disturbed Callum, he had to admit that it did clear up quite a few things about his issues with the football team.

God, he was being ridiculous. He had no reason, no _right_ to be jealous of Felix. Felix was one of the first friends Rayla had made at KSU and here Callum was getting tied up in knots about it. Downright embarrassing, for one, but also incredibly unfair of him.

He - He just needed time to sort through his thoughts. But not here. Not now. Not with all the noise and the people around him and -

Okay, he was starting to push himself a little too far. His chest felt tight, and - air. He needed air.

Callum abruptly stood up from the table, doing his best to disguise the sharp increase of his breathing. "Gotta make a call," he stammered plainly, jutting his thumb towards the door. "Outside. Be right back." Then he left the café, sinking down onto a bench nearby and practicing the breathing exercises both his therapist and Harrow had coached him in.

1... 2... 3... Inhale.

1... 2... 3... Exhale.

Establish a rhythm, determine a pace. Sit up straight. Close his eyes if needed. Shut off all distractions. Center himself.

He'd gotten pretty good at managing his anxiety attacks, and within a few minutes he'd calmed himself down to the point where his thoughts were no longer bouncing around his head like a rabbit on steroids. Still, he had to admit to himself that a bench outside Boudreaux's wasn't really the best place to try and work through his jealousy issues.

"Hmm. Doesn't look like a phone call to me."

Callum, startled, jumped to his feet before he realized that Rayla had joined him outside. "I - uh… They didn't pick up?" Wow. The lack of confidence in his voice was astounding.

Rayla snorted. "Clearly." She gave him a concerned frown. "Callum, are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I… Yes. Definitely! Right as rain." Ugh. That was probably overkill.

His girlfriend raised an eyebrow at his exuberant response. "Don't lie to me. You're bad at it." Her frown deepened. She stepped closer to him and placed the back of her hand on his forehead, much like she'd done only an hour or so ago. "You look flushed. And you _do _feel kind of warm. I'm thinking you might have a low fever."

"Really, I'm fine -" he tried to protest, but Rayla silenced him with a look.

"I'm sending you home. Dr. Moonshadow's orders."

"But -"

"No 'buts'. Do you want me to come with you?"

He was tempted to say yes. So, so tempted. But that wasn't fair. Especially because he wasn't actually sick - just internally berating himself about his unfounded jealousy. "No, you stay with our friends. I can drive home."

"You sure?"

He tried to give her a comforting smile. "Yeah. Your evening shouldn't be cut short because of me,"

Rayla shook her head, her gaze soft and filling him a warmth he couldn't describe. "Alright. I'll catch a ride with Claudia. But I expect you to text me when you get home and every half hour after that, okay?" She didn't wait for an answer to continue. They both knew she didn't need to. "You clearly need some rest." She gently moved her hand to push his bangs out of his face. "We can reschedule our date for another time. And we'll make sure it's just the two of us."

"Mm. I can't wait." Callum was aware that trying to argue now would be futile. But there was one thing he felt he had to do before leaving. "Oh. By the way, you still have a little powdered sugar on your face."

Rayla frowned. "Really?" she asked, scrunching up her nose and trying to look down it. "I thought I'd gotten it all -"

Callum cut her off with a kiss, feeling bolder than he possibly ever had before. "Don't worry," he said with a smirk as he pulled away. "It's gone now."

Rayla, whose face was now a pretty shade of pink, pretended to glare at him as he began walking away. "Callum, if you got me sick, I swear that I'll -"

"You'll be fine! I'm not sick!" he insisted, though he didn't turn around.

Rayla sending him home was a blessing in disguise, he decided as he got into his car. There were many, many thoughts he needed to process - starting with his pesky case of jealousy.

xXxXxXx

**So... I'm sure all of you have some feelings™ about Felix... (And maybe some of you have thoughts on Lucas, idk lmao.) I, personally, love Felix, and his arc in this story is one of my favorites! (Although to be fair I love all the characters, both the ones I create and the ones from TDP. Except maybe Viren, lol. And even then I do appreciate him as a well-written antagonist. Anyways.) There's so much I can't wait for all of you to read! But I'm afraid this is all for today. I hope you enjoyed! :)**


	14. talk the talk and walk the walk

**1\. Follow glographics on Instagram! She travels a lot and documents all her trips, so that in itself is awesome, but she also makes super educational posts/graphics about practicing anti-racism, microaggressions against BIPOC, and other aspects of BLM, too! She has a 30-day guide about being a better ally, so if you're financially able, I 100% recommend purchasing it. That said, remember her account is also a personal account, not one solely dedicated to education! So don't go clog up her DMs and expect her to teach you; use the resources she provides and go from there!**

**Big news, y'all - I finished writing this fic (by hand haha). That means it's now only a matter of typing and posting chapters (I've typed well over half the story by now I think?), so I have a question: would you guys like me to update weekly instead of every other week? I still have about a month until school (possibly) starts, so I think I'd be able to abide by that schedule at least for a while! Is that something you'd all be interested in?**

**Also, I finally watched A:TLA and ****_wow _****it's such a good show. Every time Sokka spoke I was like "Callum?" lmao. Aang is my favorite character (I've never seen another protagonist like him! He's so amazing!) and I definitely want to write a fic about him and the Air Nomad genocide bc he never truly had time to grieve yk? Anyways - this a/n is getting too long. Love y'all, thank you for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)**

xXxXxXx

"Yes! Touchdown!"

Callum glanced up at the TV upon hearing Claudia's excited and familiar shout. The football game was away this week, meaning Soren and Rayla were obviously not in town, and also that Claudia had dragged him to her dorm so she didn't have to watch the game by herself. She had pointedly ignored his comment at the time that the truth, the _real _reason she demanded his presence, was that she felt weird screaming at the TV with no one else in the room. Her dismissal of his claim had only further cemented in Callum's mind that he'd hit the nail on the head.

Upon seeing it wasn't Rayla who'd scored for KSU, he redirected his attention towards the physics notes he was trying to study. He had a test on electromagnetism coming up, as much as he wished otherwise.

"Callum, are you even watching the game?" Claudia asked, amused, as she adjusted the lamp to her left to better examine her nails. She was currently painting them, alternating between black and... holo, or whatever that shiny, opalescent color was called. "I mean, I totally understand multitasking because there's a commercial break every time you blink, but I've only seen you look at the TV, like, twice this entire time."

"Three times, actually," Callum corrected as he turned the page in his notebook. Ugh. He loved physics, but sometimes he was really tempted to switch his major because of how rushed it felt the courses were. To digress - the only reason he knew exactly how many times he'd looked up at the TV was because Claudia had only shouted 'touchdown' three times, which meant he'd only checked in during those specific moments to see if Rayla had been the one to score.

"Okay, fine. Three times." Claudia lightly blew on her fingernails before turning to look at Callum, muting the TV with her free hand as a car commercial started playing. "Look, I know I kind of forcibly brought you here because I didn't want to be alone, but if you have stuff you need to do, don't feel like you need to stay. You are welcome to go back to your dorm. Don't hang around on my account. It won't hurt my feelings, I promise. I don't mind being the weirdo who shouts at the screen. You know. As if the players can somehow hear me."

"It's not that," Callum muttered, scribbling a formula in the top right corner of the page he was currently on. "I mean, that's not _all_ of it." Yeah, he needed to study, but he also didn't like looking up at the TV and seeing Rayla's '16' jersey standing next to Felix's '87' on the sidelines. So he just kept his eyes on his paper, instead. It was stupid, he _knew _it was stupid, but he couldn't help it.

He really needed to talk to someone. A therapist would probably be best.

"Oh, I recognize that face," Claudia said with a snicker. "That's the 'I'm dealing with so many pent-up feelings right now I might explode' face." She added a second layer of black polish to the nails on her left hand. "Soren wears that face a lot. So come on - 'fess up. Claudia is here to listen and then impart her wisdom."

Well, at least Claudia was more affordable than a therapist.

Callum bit his bottom lip, slowly closing his physics notebook. He let out a long sigh, then blurted without taking a breath, "I'm really jealous of Felix and Rayla and - and I know it's dumb and unfair because I know, I really do know that there's nothing going on between them but I - I don't have any clue what to do about it!" He ran a hand through his hair. "I _know _I have no reason to be jealous, I honestly do, but..." He shrugged helplessly. "I still am. And trust me, I hate it."

"Mm," Claudia said as she switched to painting the nails on her right hand with the grace of someone who was not at all ambidextrous. "I see, I see." She cursed as she got polish on her thumb. "I think it's important to note a couple of things here. For one, jealousy is natural! People have always been and will always be insecure. It's the defining trait of our species, and there is no shame in it."

Callum would have argued _greed _was a more major contender for humanity's defining trait, but he figured now was not the time.

"Two, I think it's great that you're acknowledging your jealousy for what it is. Since you are aware you have no reason to be jealous, it means you are not going to let that jealousy consume you and ruin your relationship as a result. So kudos to you for, you know, having basic decency."

"But how do I get _rid_ of it?" Callum asked, fingering the sleeve of his jacket. "I'm tired of feeling jealous. It's honestly… really draining." And distracting.

"There is but one solution, my friend. And you might not like it."

Callum winced. "Uh oh."

Claudia nodded. "'Uh oh' is right."

"Please don't tell me -"

"You need to _talk_ to her."

"You mean I can't just internalize it and forget I ever felt that way?"

"Nope. Communication is of the utmost importance when it comes to maintaining a healthy relationship."

"Ugh," Callum groaned, collapsing onto the back of her couch. "I hate it when you make a reasonable point. Even if it only happens once in a blue moon."

"Okay, rude. I am _always_ making reasonable points." Then she laughed. "Trust me, Callum. It's all going to work out. You know Rayla's not going to break things off with you because of a little issue like this, especially because you'll actually take that first step to try and talk to her about it. Work things through with her, slowly if you need to, and I know you'll come up with a solution to deal with your jealousy together."

"I guess I'm just… afraid," Callum admitted after a pause. "I don't want her to get angry or - or think less of me. If that makes sense."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "If anything, she's going to be more angry at you for bottling up your feelings for so long, not for simply _having_ them." She blew on her nails. "If you want things to work with Rayla, then you've got to talk to her. It's unavoidable."

Callum sighed. "Yeah, I know." He'd have to talk to her whenever she got back from the game. Maybe at their weekly homework session, so it'd be just the two of them. In private. "But that doesn't make it any less terrifying."

Claudia shrugged. "Well, no one said relationships were easy." She smiled at him. "But I know you. I know Rayla, too, although not quite as well. You'll make it work."

Callum chuckled. "Well, I appreciate your vote of confidence."

Claudia glanced at the TV, unmuting it as she realized the football game had long since come back on. "Ooh, we're at their 20-yard line!" she said excitedly, sitting up straighter. "Ten bucks says Soren throws it to Rayla and she takes it in for the score."

Callum didn't comment, as he definitely did not have ten dollars available to bet, instead shaking his head and smiling. That said, he proceeded to throw a pillow at her mere seconds later when her prediction proved to be true. Her laughter was contagious and caused him to soon join in. Sometimes he swore Claudia had some kind of foresight.

But the moment his eyes fell on the TV screen, he couldn't pull his gaze away. Rayla's athleticism would never cease to amaze him - she was the epitome of beauty and power, and it was a great added bonus that she often got flustered when he said so to her.

Talking to her was going to be terrifying, yes. But it was Rayla. And she was everything to him.

He knew it would be worth it in the end.

xXxXxXx

"This is a much stronger outline than last week, Callum. I'm proud of you!"

Callum had recently enlisted Rayla's help in drafting his essay for his poetry class. Had he started way earlier than necessary? Of course. But was he terrible at writing papers? Also yes. So the two kind of cancelled each other out, which meant he'd _really _started working on his paper exactly on time and, if Rayla's confidence was anything to go on, he'd hopefully have a half-decent essay.

"The only main issue jumping out at me at the moment is your second claim," Rayla continued. "I think the connection to your thesis isn't as strong. You nail the concrete aspect on the head when you talk about the use of satiric language, but the abstract element is a little vague. Does that make sense?"

"Er... I think so?" Callum reread his second claim and sure enough, the end of it did sort of pitter patter into the void. "What if I reworded it to be more about how the satire was directed towards the elite of the era?"

Rayla nodded, satisfaction glimmering in her violet eyes. "Sound great." She laughed. "I mean, maybe it's just me, but I love writing about anti-rich people sentiment."

Callum grinned in response. "No, it's definitely not just you." He quickly jotted her suggestions down on the side of his paper. "I don't like writing, but I _do_ love taking shots at rich people." To be fair - who didn't?

"Great minds truly think alike, then." Rayla pulled a green binder out of her booksack that was labelled 'MATH' in large printed letters. "Also, I took your advice and finally got around to ordering my notes by unit. It has made my last few assignments _so_ much easier."

"See? I _told _you that you're not bad at math. You just needed a little guidance to help you maximize your abilities."

Rayla snorted. "Well, my disorganization may have been a part of my issues. But I'm pretty sure I am genuinely bad at math."

Callum rolled his eyes. They'd had this conversation several times before, with him insisting that just because she wasn't a prodigy at math didn't mean she was _bad_ at it while she argued that no, she definitely was. It was… Ugh. Very circular.

"But," Rayla continued, a smirk forming on her lips, "it doesn't matter if I'm good, bad, or mediocre at math, because my _boyfriend _is amazing in STEM subjects and can help me through it regardless." On 'boyfriend', she'd lightly tapped his nose, earning a laugh from him. "Although he is also a brilliant artist, of course. I don't want to imply his talents are relegated to merely one field of study."

"You flatter me, truly. But did you have any questions about your math homework?" Callum then asked. "Your derivative assignment is due... this evening, right?"

"I actually figured out like 80% of it on my own," Rayla said proudly. "And Claudia helped me through the rest yesterday, so we turned it in together. I feel pretty prepared for my quiz tomorrow! What about you? Any homework to finish besides that outline?"

Callum grinned. "You mean my outline that's not due until next Monday? I think the few changes that I need to make can be put off until this weekend, if I'm honest."

Rayla gasped in faux shock. "Callum? Procrastinating?" She shook her head, unable to keep an amused smile off her face. "Never thought I'd see the day."

Callum rolled his eyes. "It's not procrastinating if I'm planning on completing the task at a precisely scheduled time on Saturday."

Rayla scrunched up her nose at his comment. "You never let me have any fun."

"No, I just refuse to let you drag my name through the mud," he teased. "There's a difference."

Rayla stuck her tongue out at him - a relatively rare act of immaturity from his typically practical girlfriend. Claudia must have been rubbing off on her. It was a cute expression, a fact she would almost undoubtedly prefer he keep to himself.

"So," she continued, "if neither of us have any homework that requires imminent completion... what do you want to do instead?"

Callum recalled his conversation with Claudia from a few days earlier - how he needed to talk to Rayla about his… jealousy. But it felt incredibly embarrassing, and sure, now was probably a great time because it was just the two of them alone and nothing could interrupt or disturb them… but _God_ was it embarrassing! Jealousy was such an ugly, petty emotion. Couldn't he just rationalize away his minor issue on his own? Surely so. It wasn't like -

"Hello? Earth to Callum?" Rayla waved her hand in front of his face, causing him to blink as his attention returned to reality. "You still there?"

"Right! Sorry," he stammered. "I was… trying to think of a movie for us to watch…?" It was a pathetic answer that sounded suspiciously like a question, but Rayla didn't seem to notice. Either that, or she didn't care.

"Ooh, movie date!" she said excitedly. "Great idea. What did you come up with?"

Ugh, why had he chosen a lie that demanded expansion? "Er... Monty Python and the Holy Grail?"

Rayla laughed. "Oh, I love that movie. It's hilarious." She moved to pull her computer closer to them, grabbing her headphones off the dresser.

"Why don't we watch it on Claudia's TV?" Callum asked, gesturing to the door leading out of her bedroom. "Bigger screen, right?"

"I, ah… Because there's something more intimate about sharing headphones and watching a movie on a smaller screen together." Rayla then paused, her face dusting over with a delicate pink blush. She hastily added, "But if you'd rather watch it on the TV that is also totally fine and you can forget I ever suggested anything otherwise."

Callum couldn't stop a soft smile from forming on his lips. "Laptop sounds perfect to me."

Rayla beamed at him before turning her attention to booting up her computer and pulling up the movie, using what Callum recognized as the communal Netflix account of himself, Claudia, and Soren, proof that she was now truly immersed into their friend group.

The movie began to play, and Rayla gave him the right earbud, keeping the left one for herself. She slipped her hand into his and if the contentment in her eyes was any indicator of her mood, it was clear that she soon became absorbed into the film.

Callum, of course, could not focus. It felt… wrong to sit there peacefully with his girlfriend while _knowing_ he was keeping something from her. Worse, he was almost certain that Rayla would be understanding about the entire issue, which only increased his guilt by a hundredfold. She wasn't a petty person - well, at least not over something like this. But that knowledge didn't make it any easier to admit his feelings of jealousy to her. He'd been forced to watch a TedTalk on vulnerability in his junior year of high school, and he may have rolled his eyes at it then, but now it sure seemed like that lady had been right - vulnerability was _hard_. And super terrifying.

Maybe talking with Rayla was a bad idea after all. No problems had arisen from his jealousy so far.

Okay, he'd kind of, sort of, _totally _abandoned her during their last date-turned-group outing under the guise of being sick, but that didn't count. Much.

"I know that face."

Callum's attention was drawn to his girlfriend as she paused the movie, took the headphones out of their ears, and shifted on the bed in order to face him directly. "I - what?"

"I said I know that face." She smirked at him as she lightly flicked his nose. "That's the 'I'm stressing over something unnecessary' face. Most commonly seen right before you have a physics test."

"That's not true," he started to protest, but his efforts sounded pathetic even to him.

"You can tell me anything, Callum. Come on. What's on your mind?"

Callum hesitated, then before he could lose his nerve he forced himself to say, "I'm jealous of you and Felix!" Rayla appeared taken aback by his words, but said nothing, so he swallowed the lump in his throat and powered forward, his emotions tumbling out of him like a waterfall. "I know it's stupid and that my jealousy is completely unjustified. I know Felix is nothing more than a friend to you, and I know he's an _important_ friend because he immediately gave you the respect you deserve for your - your sports' skills when you met him without any second-guessing, but I'm… I'm still jealous. You have way more in common with him than you do with me and I guess I'm just -" He took a shaky breath before continuing. "I'm afraid you'll realize he's a better match for you than me."

Rayla didn't answer immediately, and the anxiety in Callum's stomach was really starting to build up. She then moved her right hand to rest on top of his knee. Finally, she said, "For one, I appreciate your honesty." Her voice was unusually level. "Two…" She trailed off, and her calm facade broke, replaced by... frustration? Endearment? Some mixture of contradictory emotions that Callum couldn't quite put a finger on.

"Yeah, Felix and I have a lot in common," Rayla admitted. "But that's why I like being with _you_ so much, Callum. I know that whatever we do together or any conversation we have will be interesting because - because we _don't _share every interest. You… spice up my life, for lack of a better analogy."

Callum chuckled at her choice of words, already more at ease. He could feel tension slowly dissipating out of his shoulders and upper back. He - and Claudia - had been right. Rayla was nothing but understanding. Which meant he'd stressed out for no reason. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do, dummy. I wouldn't have said it otherwise." She smiled at him. "Think of it this way. You are the perfect match for me not because we're the same puzzle piece, but because we're two connecting pieces from the same puzzle."

Callum rolled his eyes, unable to keep a cheesy grin off his face. "Wow. You're such an English major."

"We all have to be something." Rayla pushed her hair behind her ear. "If it makes you feel any better, I still find myself getting jealous of you and Claudia sometimes. Like you said, I know it's stupid, but…" She shrugged. "I'm only human. You've got years of friendship with her that we don't have yet, and that's okay."

Callum took both of her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze. "We'll get there."

Rayla smiled at him. "Damn right we will."

An idea occurred. "To prove my loyalty to you," he said dramatically, biting back an amused snicker, "you shall be one of the first people I present my finished piece for the fall art showcase to. Scout's honor. My dad and Ez will probably be the _very_ first, but rest assured you will not be far behind."

Rayla burst out laughing. "Well," she said, a teasing lilt to her voice, "I am flattered to hear that. Thank you, sad prince."

"Of course, my loyal knight." He hesitated, then quietly added, "But I do want to say that you have nothing to worry about with me and Claudia. I know that you know that, but I just - wanted to say it again. I guess."

Rayla chuckled. "Likewise, you have nothing to worry about with Felix, okay? I don't know if I'd say the stereotypical 'oh he's like a brother to me', but I promise he is nothing more than a friend. In fact, he wouldn't even be inter… He's just a really nice guy." She looked like she wanted to say something more on the matter, but whatever it was she seemed to choose to keep to herself.

Callum grinned, not particularly worried about the information she may or may not have been withholding from him. He trusted her. "Got it." He released one of her hands in order to pick up her headphones. "Shall we continue the movie?"

"Well… There's one thing I'd like to do first." Rayla pulled her other hand out of his, reaching up with both to cup his face before slowly leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips.

Who was he to argue with his girlfriend's plans? He returned the kiss, his arms wrapping around her lower back to pull her closer and eliminate any and all space between them. She smelled like lavender, a fragrance she had informed him a few days ago was the scent of her semi-permanent hair dye.

It was so… Rayla, cliché as that was. And he absolutely loved it.

Rayla's hands moved from cupping his face to resting on the back of his neck. She leaned closer to him, deepening the kiss, their chests pressing together in a way that made Callum's face turn bright red because he'd never been so close to anyone before. At least, close to anyone in an intimate manner like this.

Her lips were gentle and warm against his, and it physically pained him when he had to break away for air.

"So..." he began, raising an eyebrow at her as he tried to act more suave than he felt, "what I'm hearing is that the movie can wait?"

Rayla rolled her eyes in amusement before leaning back in to press a slow kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Does that answer your question?" she murmured after pulling away.

The movie went unwatched for a while longer.

xXxXxXx

**I forgot to mention that my doc for this fic broke 100k words yesterday so I hope you know you're in this for the long haul :P This chapter was fun to write! Got to have Claudia being Claudia and Callum practicing healthy communication with his girlfriend - we could all learn from them, tbh. I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading!**

**[Quick sidenote: if you guys want to know what the different OCs look like for this story (I know visualization without super detailed descriptions can be hard for people; it definitely is for me!), you can DM me on tumblr thinkingisadangerouspastime and I can show you icons of them I made with a picrew. No pressure of course - just an option if any of y'all think that would be helpful. :)]**


	15. bait, please don't eat your bowtie

**1\. When protests against police brutality arise, privileged folks (generally white people) tend to ask "well, what about black-on-black crime? isn't that a problem, too?" I'm here to tell you that it is incredibly important to recognize this sentence for what it is: a tactic for drawing attention away from the racism embedded in America's police force. Think of it this way - no one ever asks about "white-on-white crime", do they? Even though most white victims of crime are attacked by white assailants! The fact is that higher crime rates are intrinsically rated to poverty, and because of systemic racism, POC (especially Black people!) suffer from greater poverty (think about how public schools in areas largely occupied by POC receive less funding). So next time some asshole tries to bring up "black-on-black crime", recognize their statement as the red herring diversionary tactic that it is and call them out on it!**

**HAVE Y'ALL HEARD - NETFLIX PICKED UP THE SAGA! WE'RE GETTING ALL 7 SEASONS OF TDP! I'm ecstatic, if you couldn't tell. Maybe this is 2020's way of apologizing for everything we've gone through. Anyways - I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)**

xXxXxXx

"Is everything in place for Ezran's party?" Harrow asked frantically as he returned to the main room of his house, anxiously pacing back and forth. "He's going to be back with Soren any minute -"

"Dad, it's perfect," Callum interrupted, trying to mask his own nerves in his attempt to reassure his stepfather. "Ezran is going to love it." He glanced at Claudia, who was sitting on the couch behind him, and silently mouthed, _Right?_

Claudia rolled her eyes. Which was fair. She put up with them panicking every year. "Both of you are stressing yourselves out _way_ more than necessary. Everything is fine and Ezran will appreciate and adore all of it! Besides, he said himself that he hates big, fancy parties, right? So you listened to him, you processed that information, and you created the perfect, simple, super _fun_ gathering customized exactly to his wishes. Not to mention you've having his party the day before his birthday, just like he asks every year! I promise. It's all gonna be great."

"I just wish Amaya could have made it," Harrow said with a sigh. "It's been such a long time since Ezran last saw her, and -"

"- and that is not something within your control," Callum pointed out, already feeling calmer thanks to Claudia's logic. It's a good thing she knew how to keep a rational, level head. When she felt like it, at least. "Besides, didn't you say she'll be coming for winter break instead? So it's not like me and Ezran won't get to see her at all this year. Her visit is just delayed."

Harrow hesitated, then nodded, though the stress lines on his forehead didn't entirely disappear.

"As a complete outsider to these family traditions," Rayla said from the recliner she'd lay claim to, "I think everything looks awesome. You've got a cookie cake, his favorite jelly tarts, a bowtie for Bait - what more could he want?"

Harrow groaned. "Of course! A _party hat_ for Bait!" He shook his head, chastising himself. "How could we forget?"

"Lucky for you..." Claudia began, fishing around in her purse, "I'm prepared for everything." She pulled her hand out and opened her palm to reveal a small red party hat. "One Bait-sized accessory, at your service!"

Harrow sighed in relief as Callum took the party hat from his friend and carefully fastened it to Bait's head. The lizard licked its eye in response.

"They're five minutes away," Rayla announced, quickly reading a text on her phone. "Also, Soren says they did pick up Aanya already, he just forgot to send a text about it."

"And there we go!" Claudia said triumphantly. "Now all the guests are accounted for. Neither of you have any reason to continue stressing."

Harrow chewed his bottom lip. "I'm... I'm going to check the kitchen table one last time. Make sure the food is arranged correctly."

Callum started to follow his father into the kitchen, but was abruptly stopped by Claudia grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him backwards.

"Oh no you don't," she said, shaking her head. "The two of you in one room is bound to create more unnecessary panic over something ridiculous." She proceeded to sit him down on the couch next to the chair Rayla was lounging on. "You stay here. _I_ will make sure your dad doesn't have a crisis."

"So..." Rayla said after Claudia had left the living room and gone into the kitchen. "Do all people from Katolis stress so much over birthdays, or is this experience unique to your family?"

Callum couldn't help but laugh at her comment, feeling some of the tension ease from his shoulders simply from her sitting next to him. "Probably just unique to my family."

Rayla smiled. "I figured." She pushed her hair behind her ear - a section too short to have made it up into her ponytail. "But seriously. I know you and Professor Harrow have been planning this for the past two weeks."

"You only witnessed like 40% of that planning."

"Yes, and it was _still_ incredibly hectic." She chuckled. "Anyways. My _point_ is that Ezran is going to love it. So why all this panicking and freaking out? The two of you have given me so much secondhand anxiety."

Callum hesitated, then sighed, placing his elbow on the arm of the couch to rest his chin on his hand. "It's… kind of an odd story. Basically, on Ezran's fifth birthday, our mom left for the tour that she ended up… er, passing away during."

Rayla's eyes widened. "Oh. Okay. I - I don't mean to pressure you to tell me, Callum. If it's something too personal, then you definitely don't have to share it. I mean, unless you want to. Otherwise, you can, uh, embrace the panic?" She cringed at her haste. "That was awful. Sorry."

Callum chuckled at her flustered response. "No, you're fine. And I realize, now having heard myself say it out loud, that my word choice sounded like, super dramatic and angsty. But that's not it at all." He adjusted his scarf around his neck. "Even though Mom had to leave on his birthday, she didn't want to miss his party, so the day before his actual birthday we had a small celebration. Just the four of us and one poorly-made cake." A soft smile formed on his lips. "Ever since, Ezran has kept with that tradition. Have the party the day before his actual birthday, and only invite a few people. Although he has definitely upgraded his quality of cake. It's sort of… in her memory."

Rayla initially seemed to be at a loss for words, but soon a gentle smile danced across her features. "That's really sweet. And I can't lie - I feel incredibly honored that I'm considered a close enough friend to have been invited."

Callum chuckled. "When Ez was making a list of people he wanted to come, you were higher on it than me."

Rayla snorted at his words. "Wow. That's savage of him." She reached out to take Callum's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "But in all seriousness. I promise Ezran is going to adore everything you and Professor Harrow have put together. I think he will _especially _appreciate Bait's very fashionable party hat and bowtie."

Upon hearing his name, the lizard made a noise somewhere between a croak and a squeak. Seconds later, there were several knocks at the door.

"And now the guest of honor himself has arrived," Rayla said, helping her boyfriend to his feet before releasing his hand. "Shall we go greet him?"

Callum laughed at her play-formality. "Yes, I suppose we shall."

It turned out, however, that Claudia and Harrow had beaten them to the door and already let Ezran, Soren, and a petite girl with light brown hair and golden-blonde highlights - Aanya, presumably? - inside the house.

"Happy birthday, Ezran!" Claudia exclaimed, crushing the boy into a hug. "I can't believe you're 14 already. It makes me feel so old."

Ezran laughed, returning the hug. "Thank you, Claudia." When she released him, he turned around to pull his friend forward. "Everyone, this is Aanya. I have AP HUG with her. She is currently the only person in any of my classes who I tolerate. She is also ten times cooler than all of you combined."

Everyone laughed at his comment, and Aanya rolled her eyes but was still clearly smiling. "It's nice to finally meet all of you in person," she said, nodding towards the group. "Ezran talks incessantly about you guys. Mostly positive things, of course."

Callum was almost surprised at the rather professional manner with which the girl presented herself, but then again, Ezran was also ridiculously mature for his age, so it wasn't out of the park to have expected that his friends would be, too.

"That's my dad," Ezran began, "although you've met him before because he's had to pick me up after school so many times." He then pointed at his brother. "That's Callum, my identical twin."

A smile twitched at the corners of Aanya's mouth. "Right."

"And that's Claudia, Soren's sister."

"The superior sibling," Claudia said with a wink, ignoring her brother's dramatic eye roll. "Pleased to meet you."

"Last but not least, Rayla," Ezran concluded. "Callum is her boyfriend."

Callum felt his face heat up at his brother's blasé proclamation, though he was slightly appeased by the fact that his girlfriend, too, was blushing. It was always nice to not be the only one embarrassed.

"It's nice to meet you, Aanya," Rayla said, offering the girl as collected a smile as she could muster. "Ezran sings your praises all the time."

"Yes, that sounds like Ezran. And it's nice to meet you, too," Aanya replied. "If you don't mind my asking, where are you from? I don't believe I recognize your accent, and I consider myself well-versed in the different dialects of Katolis."

Hesitance flickered in Rayla's eyes, but it disappeared quickly. "I'm from a place called Silvergrove. It's a... a pretty small town. In Xadia."

Aanya blanched at Rayla's words. "Oh," she stammered, her professional manner slipping and reminding Callum that she was just a 14-year-old kid, barely older than Ezran. "You're -" She cleared her throat and tried to reassert herself, though uncertainty still flickered in her eyes. "I see. You're from Xadia."

And just like that, the tension in the room increased by a hundredfold.

"How about we go play some board games?" Harrow finally said, clapping his hands together in an obvious attempt to break the awkward silence. "That sounds like a good time, right?"

Ezran hastily nodded, taking the initiative to herd everyone into the main room. "Yeah, Dad, that's a great idea!" As he moved Aanya past Rayla, he mouthed a very clear, _I'm sorry._

Callum waited until everyone else had gone into the living room to fully direct his attention towards his girlfriend. "You okay?" he asked softly, taking one of her hands in his.

Rayla frowned, biting her bottom lip. "Yeah." She pushed the same loose hair from earlier behind her ear again with her free hand. "There was something… weird about that girl's reaction. I don't think it was… well, it didn't seem like typical anti-Xadian xenophobia."

Callum blinked. "What do you mean?"

Rayla sighed. "I don't know how to phrase it. Something about the face she made… It looked more sad than… er, wary or disgusted. I guess." She shrugged. "Whatever. Just ignore me. I don't know what I'm going on about."

Callum gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Well, whatever it is you're thinking, I'm sure you're right."

Rayla rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "You're too sweet."

"I try my best."

They rejoined the partygoers just as a deck of cards was being dealt in a circle.

"We're playing poker!" Ezran said cheerily. "Not with money, of course. Whoever has the most chips at the end of a currently undecided number of rounds gets the first piece of cake."

Rayla raised an eyebrow. "Are you gambling your birthday privilege?"

Ezran grinned at her. "Is it really gambling if I know I'm going to win?"

"Huh. Alright. I dig the confidence." She sat next to Claudia, pulling Callum down to her left. "Deal us in."

"Ezran inherited Sarai's confidence _and_ her infinite luck," Harrow said with a chuckle as his younger son finished dealing cards and then began divvying up chips. "He has beaten Callum and I at every game imaginable since he was six or seven."

"It's pretty much impossible for Ez to place lower than second," Callum added, trying not to grimace as he looked at his cards. "If he loses, then you should assume he lost on purpose."

"Therefore I obviously have a winning streak to maintain." Ezran passed out the last of the chips before picking up his cards. "Shall we?"

It was clear within the first three rounds that Ezran was indeed going to maintain that streak. And easily so, too. Aanya and Rayla managed to sneak in a few wins every now and then, but the chips continued to stack up in front of Ezran.

After folding for the umpteenth time in what felt like the millionth round, Callum decided his time would be better spent working on his art project rather than losing at poker. The showcase itself was about a month and a half away, but submissions were due a few weeks before then, which meant he had to get a move on. He was just about finished with the stadium half - it only needed a little more shading on the west. Soon he'd be able to start on the Colosseum part, which he couldn't deny that he was ridiculously excited for. It was his intention to finish the sketch by the end of the next week. Hopefully he'd be successful.

As he sketched, he glanced up every so often to see how the game was going. Soren's chip count had dwindled down to less than a third of what it had been originally, his stepdad's down to maybe a fourth. Claudia had been folding as much as he had, so her chip count had lessened, though admittedly not to the extent of her brother's. Rayla was holding her own - and by that he meant she had about the same number of chips as when they'd started.

Aanya's chip count had definitely gone up, but there was just no comparing it to the mountain in front of Ezran. His brother was forever unbeatable, it seemed.

What was far more interesting than the game itself, however, was the way Aanya's gaze kept flickering between her cards and Rayla. Callum wasn't the greatest at reading emotions, but there was… concern, possibly, in Aanya's eyes. Guilt, even. He definitely picked up a sense of urgency. Whatever mixture of emotions it was, it didn't seem overtly negative.

When it became doubly clear that Ezran was going to win by a landslide, aka when Ezran had tired himself of beating them all into the dirt, he stopped the game. Harrow went into the kitchen to begin putting candles on the cake while everyone else helped clear the floor of cards and poker chips.

Well, almost everyone.

Callum couldn't stop himself from watching and… ah, listening in - _not _eavesdropping - as Aanya stood up and politely asked to speak to Rayla in another room. Was it any of his business? Well… okay, probably not. Was he going to listen in anyway? So it seemed.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," he heard Aanya say. "My reaction to learning you were Xadian was ill-mannered and callous, and moreover was completely unjustified and unfair to you. For that I am incredibly sorry."

Callum could picture Rayla's look of surprise, though he couldn't see it from his vantage point on the floor.

"Oh, you don't need to apologize," she said. "I'm kind of used to it by now. Consider it… what's the expression around here? 'Water under the bridge'?"

"But you shouldn't _have_ to be used to it," Aanya insisted. "There was no reason and furthermore no excuse for me to project my… personal losses onto you, as you do not represent all of Xadia and you certainly should not be expected to. I hope you can forgive me."

Rayla smiled. Or, at least, Callum had a gut feeling she did. "Thank you, Aanya. I appreciate your sincerity. And trust me - I have already forgiven you. Really, I'd like to think we can now call each other… friends?"

"Of course!" The eagerness that broke through Aanya's 'polite and proper' demeanor again reminded Callum that like his little brother, she was still a kid - only a freshman in high school.

"Awesome. So what do you say we go snag some cake before the others snatch it all up?"

As his girlfriend spoke, Callum realized he needed to high-tail it to the kitchen before they caught him… okay, eavesdropping, thus he tried to leave the living room as casually but also as quickly as possible.

He wasn't sure if he was successful.

Harrow had just finished lighting the fifteenth candle on the cake - "One to grow on!" - when Rayla and Aanya entered the room. "Perfect!" he said with a grin, flicking the lighter off and putting it down on the counter behind him. "Everyone's here now. Can someone get the lights?"

Soren reached out to flip the switch, giving Harrow a thumbs up as he did so.

With the lights off, Harrow cleared his throat dramatically before tapping the table four times. "And a five-six-seven-eight!"

The version of 'Happy Birthday' that ensued was obnoxious, ear-splitting, and undeniably the best one to ever be sung. If it could be called 'singing', that was. Callum had coached Rayla on the words beforehand - though she denied him the privilege of getting to hear the Xadian version - and his girlfriend seemed to be having a thrilling time as she half-sang, half-screeched the song with the rest of them. In fact, the only smile wider than hers was Ezran's.

The cookie cake was delicious, which Callum had known it would be because his dad had - wisely - decided to order a cake instead of making one himself. Ezran actually gave the first piece to Bait - minus the chocolate, of course, though Callum had to wonder if the sugar from the cookie itself was at all good for the lizard. Still, it wasn't like the little guy hadn't eaten worse.

After cake was another round of games, this time Apples to Apples, Pictionary, and then Scattergories, though Harrow chose to sit the first couple out to clean up the kitchen. Ezran dominated at Apples to Apples, surprising no one. When the time for Pictionary came around, everyone attempted to get Callum on their team, which he found both flattering and also incredibly amusing. He of course chose to be with Ezran. It was his brother's birthday! How could he refuse?

Claudia tried to grab Rayla for her team, but Rayla had already partnered with Aanya at the younger girl's eager request. "Ugh," she groaned. "I did not come to this party to have to work with my _brother_." She paused, then offered Soren a guilty smile. "I mean, no offense, Sor-Bear, but you have the artistic ability of a guy who's never touched a colored pencil in his life."

"Ouch. Hurtful." Soren then grinned at his sister. "So what I'm hearing is that I have to seize this opportunity and prove you wrong! Come on, Clauds - let's win this thing."

They did not win this thing.

Callum and Ezran won, to the surprise of absolutely no one. They were almost at the end of the board while the other two teams were barely reaching halfway. Callum was proud to see that his little brother wasn't half-bad at drawing - especially when the stakes were high, such as in a game of Pictionary.

The final game they played was Scattergories, the revelation of such causing Rayla to sit straight up and beam excitedly at the group. "Oh, I am going to crush _all_ of you," she said gleefully, mischief glinting in her eyes. "Scattergories is a game you should never play with an English major."

Soren frowned. "I thought that was Scrabble?"

Rayla snorted, rolling her eyes and earning a snicker from Ezran. "Scrabble is for spellers. Yes, there is undoubtedly some overlap, but I can tell you that I myself am an English major who cannot spell to save her life."

"You should see her texts when autocorrect isn't quick enough to catch her spelling errors," Callum mused off-handedly, not really expecting to be heard. Rayla did not miss his comment, however, and she lightly flicked his nose in response.

"No comments allowed from the sad prince who mixed up prepositions and conjunctions."

His face reddened. He was _so_ going to get her for that later.

Rayla, as promised, did dominate at Scattergories. The only person who came even remotely close to racking up as many points as her was - unsurprisingly - Ezran, though even he only had about three-quarters of Rayla's total. Really, his brother's ability to always place first or second in any game he played was as remarkable as it was slightly terrifying.

Sometimes Callum wished _he_ had that kind of luck.

Ezran always ended his birthday party with the opening of presents. While it was tradition to not open his dad's and Callum's gifts until all the other people had left - whenever that was possible, at least - he made sure every time to open the other guests' gifts beforehand so he could properly thank them. Callum often wondered if that was his brother's way of getting out of having to write thank you notes. If that was the case… completely understandable.

Soren had given him a new camera with both a wrist and a neck strap attachment, reminding Ezran that he needed to actually _use _the straps if he didn't want to lose the camera to another lake. Ezran responded to that comment by taking a gloriously unattractive close-up of Soren's face.

Claudia had given him a set of tiny costumes originally intended for dolls that she had modified to fit Bait. 'Lizard-sized', as she'd described it. "And now you can use your new camera to take pictures of him while he's all dressed up!"

Callum had been concerned Ezran might explode with excitement. Somehow, his brother managed to contain himself and simply tackle Claudia in a tight hug.

Aanya was next. Ezran peeled the green paper off the carefully-wrapped present, revealing a cookbook specifically containing dessert recipes.

"I know you have a major sweet tooth," she explained, "and I figured you might eventually want a little more variety than just jelly tarts."

Ezran gasped in mock-offense. "How dare you assume that I will _ever_ outgrow my addiction to jelly tarts." He then grinned at her. "Thank you, Aanya. But I feel like I should tell you that I'm pretty bad at baking, so my dad will have to supervise and make sure I don't burn the house down."

"Hey, you know I'm not much better." Harrow chuckled. "We don't have an extra fire extinguisher just for decoration."

"You are legally obligated to tell me that story later," Rayla whispered in amusement, taking Callum's hand in her own. Callum had to bite back a snicker at the thought and merely nodded in response.

"Well, if you're really _that_ much of a fire hazard, I don't mind helping out," Aanya offered. "I love baking. My moms taught me when I was little." Something akin to a bittersweet sadness flickered in her eyes, but the expression disappeared within seconds before Callum could truly get a gauge on it. "I'll make sure your house doesn't go up in flames."

Ezran beamed at her. "Awesome. I can't wait!"

Rayla's gift was last, excluding Harrow and Callum. "I'm sorry it's not more," she said as she handed him two envelopes. "But I did use my best stationary."

Ezran read the back of the envelopes, placing the one that had 'DO NOT READ (YET)' in block letters written across the lip on the floor. The other envelope he opened, and the room grew quiet as he pulled out a sheet of paper and began reading the note on it to himself.

Callum absentmindedly ran his thumb over Rayla's fingers, noticing for the first time how even her nails were. He needed to ask her how she managed that, because it felt like his nails were never the same length at the same time, which meant he often accidentally stabbed his palm if he held his pencil wrong in trying to draw.

Upon finishing the letter, Ezran didn't speak, instead folding the paper and placing it back inside the envelope. He then turned to face Rayla. Maybe Callum imagined it, but he could have sworn he saw tears glittering in his brother's eyes.

Then Ezran opened his arms for a hug, to which Rayla gladly obliged. "Thank you," he said, burying his face in her shoulder.

"No, thank _you_," Rayla said, squeezing him a little tighter. "I meant every word."

"I hope Callum knows that you're too good for him."

Everyone laughed, easing some of the weight that had fallen over the room, and Callum faked a frown. "Low blow, Ez. Low blow."

"It's only a low blow because I haven't hit my growth spurt yet," Ezran countered as he pulled out of Rayla's hug. "Just wait until I'm taller than you."

That was unfortunately true, and Callum absolutely loathed the day Ezran's growth spurt would inevitably come. He didn't think he was emotionally prepared to handle his little brother being taller than him anytime soon.

With Rayla's gift being the last, everyone began saying their goodbyes. Aanya's guardian arrived exactly on time to pick her up. Claudia walked the girl out, while Soren paused to confirm that he was still driving Rayla to football practice.

"Since I don't really feel like walking, yes," Rayla said. "I'll meet you at your car in a sec." When he left, she turned around to plant a quick kiss on Callum's lips. "Still on for the movie tonight?"

"Of course," he replied, smiling at her and hoping he didn't look _too_ blissful from the fact that she'd kissed him. "You know that once I've scheduled something into my day it can't _not_ happen. I'd probably die."

Rayla laughed, kissing him again before saying her goodbyes and giving Ezran a final hug. She then disappeared out the door.

"As per tradition, I receive yours and Dad's gifts separately," Ezran began, "and since you were… heh, _distracted_ by Rayla, I used that time to open Dad's first. Let's just say that it's going to be a tough act for you to follow."

"Darn right!" Harrow shouted from the kitchen, where he'd returned presumably to finish cleaning the dishes.

Callum rolled his eyes, ignoring his brother's comment about Rayla and pretending that he was not at all blushing because of it. "Ez, it's not a competition. Dad and I love you equally."

"Maybe, but it's much more fun to treat it like one!" Ezran picked up Callum's gift from the table, shaking it carefully. "Hmm. Very light. No more than a pound." He studied the box. "Rectangular. Thin. May be stuffed with tissue paper to cushion -"

"Oh my God, Ez," Callum interrupted, laughing at his brother's detective-esque antics. "Just open the gift already."

Ezran snickered but did as instructed, tearing through the wrapping paper and pulling off the top of the box to reveal two hand-painted, watercolor portraits, one of Bait and the other of… "Mom," Ezran breathed, his hand gently tracing the golden border of the picture. "Wow. She was so pretty."

"Smart, too," Callum said, unable to keep the fondness out of his voice. "She would always get in the last word whenever she argued with someone."

"Sounds like a certain annoying brother of mine." Ezran then glanced up at Callum, giving him a soft smile. "You really look like her, you know."

Callum chuckled. "That's what everyone says, but I don't see it."

Ezran rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't." He then proceeded to pull Callum into a tight hug, though he was careful not to crush the paintings between them. "Thank you. I can't believe I have the best brother in the entire world."

Callum couldn't help but smile, easily returning the hug. "Mm, no, I'm pretty sure that's _my _line."

Not just a happy birthday for Ezran, it seemed, but a happy day for all. And maybe he was overstating things, but… Callum felt like their mom would have been proud.

xXxXxXx

**Okay, I know Ezran's birthday is canonly like in March, but I didn't know that when I started writing this, so for the sake of this story his birthday is in October. Next chapter is a shorter one, but we'll be entering a new arc of this fic and you're going to meet my favorite OC! She's a joy to write, and hopefully you'll love her as much as I do. Until next time! Thank you for reading!**


	16. she's here whether you like it or not!

**1\. BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS SHOUTOUT! I was introduced via Wattpad to a user named nostalgicspidey; now don't go spam their account, lmao, because their Instagram is sweetie dot et and their website is sweetieet dot co dot uk! They sell cosmetics, body care items, etc. If you're financially able, go buy from them!**

**2\. If you live in the USA and are 18+, MAKE SURE YOU'RE REGISTERED TO VOTE! I think has a super easy way to check if you're registered. **

**Like I said last time, this ****_is _****a bit of a shorter chapter, but one of my favorite OCs is introduced and I hope you love her as much as I do. Side note: I'm (ideally) posting an atla fic later today, and I'm not saying you ****_have _****to read it if you're into atla, but... ;) Anyways, I hope you're all doing well and staying safe during this time of quarantine - remember to wear a mask if you must leave the house! Enjoy the chapter :)**

xXxXxXx

"Are you coming to the game tomorrow?" Rayla asked eagerly as she slid into her desk next to Callum's. "It's not against a big team, so I can't hold it against you if you don't want to or didn't plan to go, but..." She offered him a small, almost bashful smile. "I would really appreciate it if you came."

Callum chuckled. "So… what I'm hearing is you missed me during your away game?"

Rayla made a mildly disgusted face. "You have no idea how hard it is to be surrounded by obnoxious amounts of testosterone in such small areas. It's enough to make me claustrophobic." She rolled her eyes. "At least _you_ talk about something other than how you're trying to hook up with some girl in your history class."

"That's only because I _already_ managed to hook up with a certain girl in my history class," he teased, satisfaction rushing through his veins when he saw his girlfriend blush at the comment. "But come on. Be fair. There's no way that's _all_ they talk about."

"True," Rayla admitted with a sigh. "Sometimes they talk about trying to hook up with the girls in their science class. Or even the boys in their math class! I guess they have a thing for nerds."

Callum snorted. "You know what? Good for them." If society had progressed to the point where football players, the most stereotypical macho-y, masculine men, could talk about how much they liked guys - _nerdy_ guys - without shame, then surely that was a sign of tremendous growth. He pulled his binder out of his booksack. "It's great to know that they're not ashamed of their sexuality."

"You Katolians have always been weird about that kind of thing," Rayla mused, tucking her hair behind her ear before getting her own materials for class out of her bag. "Xadia never had to 'legalize' same-sex marriage. It's just always been a thing there."

Callum rolled his eyes, though he was unable to stop himself from grinning. "I know, I know. We of Katolis are inferior to the high and mighty Xadians. No need to remind me."

"Pff. That is not what I meant and you know it." She reached up to push Callum's bangs out of his face. "Don't forget, Xadia has its own issues. Remember how long it took them to be okay with inter-clan relationships?" She shrugged. "Xadia and Katolis are just very different countries. Nothing wrong with that."

Callum nodded and placed his hand on top of hers. He supposed the action was rooted in being a comforting gesture, but the truth? He just liked holding his girlfriend's hand.

"Anyways," Rayla continued after a pause, "at least Katolis embraces technological advancements with open arms. It took me _years_ to convince Runaan and Ethari that I needed a phone if I was going to be staying after school for drama practice four days a week in high school."

Callum's eyes widened. He normally would have taken a moment to address the multitude of issues that came with Katolis's obsession towards 'progress' in the form of technology and AI, but the latter part of her sentence had hit him like a steamroller. "Wait a minute… No way." He smirked at her. "Did you just admit to being a theatre kid?"

"Hey - don't you get all elitist with me," Rayla threatened. "Theatre is fun. And as someone who has done several different martial arts for a majority of her life and not to mention now plays football on the regular, I can assure you that drama is also ten times harder. Longer hours, twice as much work to accomplish, plus the performances themselves are the highest-pressure scenarios you'll ever be in - stage actors are the strongest people in the world, especially actors who do musical theatre. And that is a fact."

In all honesty, Callum was keenly aware that his girlfriend was correct. Claudia had been involved in theatre since she was little, and that hobby both consumed hours out of her week as well as often drove her up the wall, even for as much as she loved doing it. "What about film actors?" he asked after pondering her statement. "Is it not the same amount of work for them?"

"Please," Rayla said, rolling her eyes. "Film actors are cowards. Teleprompters? Retakes? Sound adjustment? Live theatre has no such luxuries. You'd better know all of your lines and cues by heart because you have no second chance in the middle of the show."

Callum whistled. "Oh, this is serious. I see."

Rayla laughed. "Don't make fun of me. The distinction is very important, okay? Ask Claudia!"

"Uh huh. And you're _sure _you're not overstating the issue? Just a little bit?"

"Shush. Professor Dupuy is here now." She winked at him, moving her hand that was underneath his to properly intertwine their fingers together. The best thing about Rayla sitting to his left - and the fact that she was ambidextrous - was that they could take notes _and _hold hands at the same time if they wanted to.

And they often wanted to.

Professor Dupuy placed their satchel on their desk at the front of the class with Starbucks in their other hand - as per usual. "I've got good news and bad news for you guys," they said, taking a sip from their drink that was far too bright a pink to be healthy. "The bad news is that my cat is sick."

Several people gasped, and a chorus of concerned murmurs filled the room. Callum could feel his own lips turning downwards into a worried frown. Professor Dupuy loved their cat, and had only adopted her a few months ago from a shelter. Finally, someone called out, "Is Mace going to be okay?"

Professor Dupuy nodded, taking another sip of their drink before placing it on their desk beside their satchel. "Yes. And that's actually a third of the good news right there. I took her to the vet yesterday because she kept coughing, and they called me this morning to let me know that she has the feline equivalent of the flu."

The entire class let out a collective sigh of relief at their words.

"That said, I will continue to worry about Mace until she is returned to me with a chipper attitude and in perfect health, so another third of the good news is that I will not be lecturing today. But" - they sent the class a pointed look - "I am not _cancelling_ class. Instead, you'll start working on your group presentations for the midterm. So this is just an extra day of preparation. You have five minutes to get yourselves into groups of three. After those five minutes have passed, I'll create groups from the people left. Good luck, have fun, all the jazz."

"Wait - what's the final third of your good news?" someone asked.

Professor Dupuy grinned at the class. "Well, as you all know, I have been trying for a _very_ long time to get… mm, 'un-married' is the funniest way to put it. As of yesterday, my manipulative jerk of a husband finally agreed to our Separation Agreement - which was more generous to him than it should have been, I'm sure, but hey! Good riddance to him. As soon as the divorce is finalized, I will be completely free of his presence in my life."

The class all erupted into cheers and applause. Professor Dupuy had been detailing their journey to divorce after having been married to a spouse who was… the absolute worst, to put it kindly, for several years, and Callum couldn't help but feel elated on his teacher's behalf that they'd soon be independent again.

Professor Dupuy waved their hand dismissively. "But that's enough about my personal life. I believe you all have a midterm to prepare for? Get in groups of three! Five minutes!"

Rayla groaned as people began scurrying around the classroom to make their groups. "Ugh. Why couldn't it have been pairs instead? Professor Dupuy has always organized projects in pairs before this."

Callum chewed the inside of his cheek, knowing that nothing he said could be seen as a valid excuse or explanation. The fact of the matter was that she was Xadian and his dad was the head of the college. Separately, maybe such issues could have been manageable. But together? People didn't want to touch them with a 30-foot pole. And, to be fair, they themselves weren't exactly interested in working with people who had that kind of nasty attitude, anyways.

And it wasn't like Professor Dupuy hadn't been understanding about the matter, either. In fact, they'd been the most cooperative of all their teachers, and had specifically planned many of their projects to be completed in pairs for the sole purpose of allowing Callum and Rayla to work with only each other, no hassle. They'd even made a point to incorporate lessons on bigotry into their curriculum, blending it with examinations of how the Renaissance continued to influence present day. As someone who was agender, they'd told the two, they understood the feeling of helplessness that bloomed from intolerance and wanted to do everything they could to dispel that kind of environment in their classroom.

In other words, Professor Dupuy was the best person to ever exist. Plain and simple.

Their classmates always looked plenty ashamed of themselves after those lessons, but they'd also made zero effort to change their behavior or call out bigotry in others when they saw it. Sure, they weren't all necessarily _outwardly _cruel, but that wasn't the problem. The bane of humanity was apathy. That, and complacency.

"Should I ask Professor Dupuy if we can bend the rules and work as a group of two?" Callum asked his girlfriend, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Rayla sighed glumly, taking her hand out of Callum's to rest her chin on it. "Yeah. I guess there's not really any use waiting around -"

"Actually, I'm going to be in your group."

Callum looked up to see a girl wearing a bright pink hijab standing in front of their desks, the colorful clothing item standing out from her otherwise dark-colored, punk-ish garb. "Uh," he stammered. Something in his gut told him that she would not be taking no for an answer. Well, less his gut and more the fact that she'd said 'going to' rather than 'can I'. A statement of fact rather than a request. "Er… sure? I mean - that's cool. Awesome."

"Great." The girl took the seat next to Rayla, who looked as stunned as Callum felt inside. "My name is Sonya, by the way," she added, dropping her bag to the floor.

"Rayla," his girlfriend said after a pause, giving her a wary smile. "And this is Callum."

"Nice to meet you both," Sonya said with a nod before immediately diving into business. "So. What are our three topics to request from Professor Dupuy for our presentation? I'm personally a fan of how the humanistic elements of the Renaissance tended to align with the development of individualism as a break from medieval Christianity and the Catholic Church's theme of attributing everything to God."

Wow.

Well, some people were _definitely _better at the thematic side of history than he was. He found that it had always been easier for him to pick up the cultural aspects. "Well... I - uh, I like da Vinci," Callum offered, internally cringing at the way his voice faltered.

Rayla rolled her eyes good-naturedly, lightly elbowing him in the side. "You would adore the quintessential Renaissance man, wouldn't you?"

Callum blushed at his girlfriend's teasing. "Look, he developed designs for a helicopter in the _1400s_. You can't tell me that's not impressive. I mean, he was literally centuries ahead of his time."

"He also developed early designs for a submarine," Sonya pointed out, twisting a black ring around her right middle finger. "So I'd agree that da Vinci was pretty cool. I wouldn't mind doing our presentation on him."

"Thank you, Sonya," Callum said, crossing his arms over his chest and giving Rayla a satisfied smirk. "See?"

"Hey, I wasn't disagreeing," Rayla countered with a laugh. "Just pointing out that you're kind of in love with the guy."

Fair enough. He wasn't going to deny that.

"What about you, Rayla?" Sonya asked. "Any particular topics you want to request from Professor Dupuy?"

"Hmm…" Rayla tapped her chin. "Well, I'm an English Renaissance kind of gal." She placed a hand on her chest. "William Shakespeare owns my heart."

Sonya nodded in agreement. "Shakespeare was a genius. No one comes close to equaling his talent, from the playwrights that came before him to those of today." She stood up. "So individualism, da Vinci, and the English Renaissance are our three requests." She didn't wait for confirmation to continue. "Sounds good. I'll let Professor Dupuy know." With that, she began walking down the aisle towards their professor's desk.

"She seems pretty cool," Rayla said after a pause, her cheeks pink. "And I love her look. It's an awesome contrast."

Callum raised an eyebrow at her comment. "I never really took you as someone who focused on appearances."

Rayla snorted. "Callum. I am _absolutely_ as shallow and as insecure as the next person. Don't you ever forget it."

Callum laughed. "Understood." He glanced at Sonya, who was now talking to their professor. "But you're right. She does seem cool. And she likes da Vinci, which is even better." He made a mental note to research how to greet Muslim women as a non-Muslim man, that way he could properly say hello the next time they met up with her.

Rayla nodded eagerly. "This is like, the first time I've actually been excited about a group project in here." She paused, then hastily added, "Not that I don't love working with you, of course, but there's something exhilarating about being in a group of three where the third person doesn't irrationally hate you."

"No, I definitely get it," he agreed. Sonya gave off a vibe of someone who was dedicated and would do her part of the midterm project fairly and equally. Plus, there would now be _less _for each of them to memorize for the actual presenting part, which was an added bonus that Callum was particularly fond of.

"Individualism it is," Sonya said as she returned to the group, sitting back down at her desk. "But Professor Dupuy encourages us to incorporate da Vinci and the English Renaissance into it. I think we can easily hit all three. Does that work?"

"Sounds great to me," Rayla said, grinning at her. "I can't wait to get started."

Sonya shrugged. "Well, there's no reason to put it off." She pulled her binder out of her bag, dropping it down onto her desk before offering them a small smile. "Let's get started."

They were _so _going to ace this midterm.

xXxXxXx

**I'm not saying Sonya is cooler than all of us, but Sonya is cooler than all of us. I'm excited for all of you to see her role in this fic, as well as how she grows and changes over the course of the story. Anyways - see you in a week! (Or later today/tomorrow if you read my atla fic lmao.) Thank you for reading!**


	17. a kiss to make it feel better

**1\. Follow nowhitesaviors on Instagram! They go into great detail about issues with white saviorism and the need for all people (but especially white people) to work on "decolonizing their mind" (e.g. getting rid of the idea the Africa is a continent full of "primitive" people that somehow "need saving" by white people, because that is far from the truth). I've learned so much on there that school has never taught me!**

**Confession time: I almost completely forgot about updating this weekend. Like it came very close to slipping my mind entirely. College starts in two weeks and I'll be working an office job on campus (which I have never done before so I am very, very nervous) so my brain has been elsewhere for most of the past few days lol!**

**Anyways - I hope you guys are all doing well, staying safe, wearing masks, and all that jazz! I'm still deep into my A:tLA obsession lmao, so I will undoubtedly be posting more A:tLA fics at some point if any of y'all are interested in that. This chapter is probably one of my favorites so far, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed writing it! :)**

xXxXxXx

"Hey," Callum said, grabbing Rayla's hand to keep her from walking away. "Want a kiss for luck before the game?"

Rayla laughed. "Really? You didn't think to ask me until _after_ I put my helmet on?" She pulled her hand out of his, shaking her head and grinning. "Nope. You'll have to wait until after we've won."

"Whoa, don't jinx us," Felix teased, elbowing her in the side as he walked past. "It would suck to have our winning streak broken by such a measly opponent all because of one offhand comment."

Rayla rolled her eyes. "So, you tell _me_ not to jinx it, and then go and call them measly? How hypocritical of you."

Felix looked like he was tempted to defend himself, but Soren walked into the room before he could get a word out.

"Okay, guys," he said, clapping his hands together. "Time for all non-players to clear out."

'Non-players' meaning Callum and Claudia, because they were basically the only two people not on the team that Coach Zhou allowed in the locker room. Callum often wondered if that had anything to do with who his and Claudia's fathers were in relation to KSU, but for once, he was not complaining about the privilege.

They waved goodbye to the team, with Callum rolling his eyes at his girlfriend's overly-dramatic wink that he could barely see through the mask of her helmet, then both proceeded to make their way out of the locker room and into the bleachers of the stadium's student section.

"So, what have you been up to lately?" Claudia asked as they sat down together. "We haven't had a real conversation since, like, Ezran's birthday party!"

Callum blinked. She was right. It was weird for them to go so long without even texting. "I've mostly just been slammed by assignments this week," he answered honestly. "Midterms are around the corner and I guess my professors are trying to make sure they cover all the content we'll need to know for exams."

Claudia cringed. "Ugh. Midterms. Don't remind me." Then she nodded. "But yeah, my professors are all loading on the work, too. I think Soren is starting to lose his mind - you know, more than he already has - because he has major senioritis for everything. Except football, of course."

Callum shrugged. "Well, I can't blame him for wanting to graduate and get out of here."

Claudia stared at him incredulously. "Seriously?" She shook her head. "No way. Callum, you were _completely _unaffected by senioritis in high school. Everyone kept saying that you'd been vaccinated for it. Or so went the rumors I heard, at least."

Callum rolled his eyes, recalling the nonstop teasing. All in good fun, of course, but still mildly irritating. "Right. Thank you very much for the reminder."

"Sorry. But come _on_. You're the last person I'd expect to understand senioritis."

"I mean, I don't _understand_ it, per se. But I can sympathize with his frustration to get out of here, if not empathize with it." Rayla had explained the difference between empathy and sympathy to him at their latest weekly homework session. It had truly been an enlightening conversation.

Claudia rolled her eyes at his response, but she was smiling. "Alright, Mr. Smartypants. Flexing your girlfriend's knowledge. I see you."

He wasn't sure whether to be offended by or to take pride in her comment. The result was a strange combination of both.

"Anyways," Claudia continued, silencing her phone when it started ringing in her pocket, "far more importantly for us to address - do you, by any chance, have a new sketch to show me?"

Callum was almost certain that his eyes had genuinely lit up at her question, but he was too excited to feel self-conscious about his eager reaction. "Actually, yes!"

Claudia beamed at him. "Sweet."

Callum had finally finished his fusion of the Roman Colosseum and KSU's stadium. He'd labored on it for what - a month, a month and a half? Regardless, he was quite pleased with the finished product. He was especially proud of how he'd shaded the crumbling pieces of the Colosseum half. He'd shown it to his dad and Ezran a few days earlier, both of whom had sung his praises. And while he knew they'd done so just to be funny and overly theatrical, it had admittedly served as a pretty flattering ego-boost, thus he was not going to complain.

He'd hoped to show the completed piece to Rayla earlier that day, as he promised her she'd be one of the first to see, but the thought had slipped his mind. Still, he saw no harm in showing it to Claudia. She'd been his closest friend besides Ezran and now Rayla since - well, since forever.

"I've been working on this for a while," he said as he pulled his sketchbook out of his satchel, "and I'm pretty pleased with the end result. Which you know is a rarity for me, because I'm always too hard on myself."

Claudia snorted. "Yep, that you are." Then she wiggled her eyebrows. "But it's a long-term Callum original, you say? Too many millennia have passed since I've been privy to one of those!"

It was true - Callum often sketched only things that momentarily caught his attention, saving the energy required for long-term projects to be used on what he was assigned in his various art classes. Not that he didn't like or wasn't interested in what he did for class, because he definitely was, but still. It wasn't _quite_ the same.

He'd sprayed the picture with a fixative to keep the charcoal from smearing, although he was aware that he needed to stop carrying it in his sketchbook if he wanted to submit it to KSU's art showcase in pristine condition. "Ta-da!" he said, carefully pulling out the picture. "I would tell you the title, but I have no clue what to call it yet, so for now it's Unnamed Work Number 4,732."

"Wow," Claudia said in awe as she stared at the drawing. "Callum, this is _incredible_!" She laughed. "I literally would never have realized it if you hadn't drawn this, but KSU's stadium really _is _weirdly similar to the Roman Colosseum. That's wild."

"Thank you," he said proudly as he tucked the picture back into his sketchbook. "And hey - awesome architecture is one of the more positive aspects of Rome's legacy."

"True that." Claudia checked her phone as it buzzed, rolling her eyes in exasperation as she dismissed the notification. "Ugh. Dad won't leave me alone." She shook her head. "Whatever. Moving on." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "So, what exactly inspired this rare long-term project for you? I'm assuming you did this independent of class, right?"

"To the second question, yes. And to the first… I was actually going to ask you about that."

"Cool. Hit me."

Callum took a breath, knowing full well that there was no reason for him to be as nervous as he was. Not that he was having any success in reassuring himself, though. "Do… Do you think I should submit this for the fall art showcase?"

Claudia gasped, then grinned at him. "Duh! Of course you should! I've been telling you that you need to submit something for _ages_ now! And this drawing is perfect. It's beautiful, it's original, and it's very neat. There's no reason not to submit it."

"Do keep in mind that you telling me 24/7 to submit something was unnecessary on your part because there's only one showcase per semester and this is my first semester at KSU," he pointed out. "But… are you sure? You think this is good enough to be accepted?" Harrow and Ezran had assured him it was, but he wanted to hear it from… well, at least from another student, because Claudia was probably biased in his favor, too. He loved art more than anything, yes, but he was only a freshman, and he didn't really look forward to the sting of pain that would come with being rejected. He couldn't get his hopes up.

Claudia stared at him for a moment. Then she gave him a gentle smile. "Callum, you are an incredibly gifted artist. This sketch is _beyond_ 'good enough' to submit." She lightly punched his arm. "You, sir, need to be more confident in yourself and in your abilities."

Callum could feel himself blushing at her compliment. "Aw. Thanks, Claudia."

"I mean it," she insisted. "You're _so_ good. It's unfair to every other art student at this school how good you are. But no matter what, it is ultimately up to you whether or not you want to submit the sketch." She winked at him. "That said, and make sure this is on the record, I _do _think you should."

Callum nodded, feeling a surge of confidence rush through him. "Yeah," he agreed, sitting up straighter. "Yeah, I will submit it! The worst that can happen is I don't get in, so if that's the case, I'll just try again next semester." Art was about growth and learning from adversity - the universe was basically _demanding_ that he submit the picture.

"Woo! There's my best friend!" Claudia cheered, giving him a high five. "It's going to be great, I promise you."

He found himself internally agreeing with her. It _would_ be great. He couldn't wait to talk to Rayla about it! He still wished he'd shown her the picture earlier, maybe even on Wednesday during their homework session, but the onslaught of assignments they'd both received because of midterms had meant they'd been consumed by work the full two hours they were together. It was almost frightening how easily something could slip from his mind when he was stressed about school.

But he'd do it. He'd show her as soon as possible. Maybe she could even help him come up with a title?

Not long after they'd finished discussing the art showcase and his plans to submit a piece for it, the game started. Callum noticed that the crowd was much sparser than usual. Apparently KSU really _was_ playing a lesser team. Although, it was also a midday game, so that probably deterred some fans, too.

Claudia seemed to pick up on his thoughts. "You should have seen the crowds last year. Or the lack thereof. Our o-line was awful, so Soren had to throw the football within, like, two seconds if he didn't want to be sacked, right?" She shook her head. "Ugh. It was terrible. The stadium was never more than halfway full - even at homecoming."

Oh, damn. That was _really_ bad. And he didn't even know that much about football.

Callum felt his phone buzz in his pocket, which was surprising, because the three main people he talked to - excluding Ezran - were either at the game with him or playing in it.

_Sonya: Are we still on to meet at Sadaf Café this afternoon to work on the renhist project?_

Oh, right. He and Rayla had exchanged numbers with Sonya during the class when she'd joined their midterm group, afterwards making plans to get together outside of school to work on their presentation. They'd both been okay with Sonya picking the restaurant since she knew way more about what places served halal food than he or Rayla did. Wow. He couldn't believe it was already the day they'd agreed to meet up.

Eh. Time was an illusion.

_Callum: sure! Rayla's playing in the game rn, but I'll remind her afterwards if she doesn't see this message lol_

_Sonya: cool_

_Sonya: what game?_

_Callum: football. she's a wide receiver_

_Sonya: nice. good for her_

And Callum took that as the end of their conversation. Sonya wasn't incredibly talkative, though he suspected the more they got to know each other, the more she'd open up. Or so he hoped, at least.

Hm. Sonya was a sophomore, wasn't she?

"Hey," Callum said, catching Claudia's attention as he put his phone away. "Do you know a girl named Sonya?"

Claudia tore her attention away from the game, which spoke wonders about how uneventful it had to be if _she_ was able to stop watching when it wasn't a timeout or a commercial break. "Hmm?"

"Sonya Jarboun? She's about my height, with kind of a punk aesthetic thing going on."

Claudia frowned. "Sonya. Sonya…" She snapped her fingers. "Ooh! Bright pink hijab? Wears a black ring?"

"Yes! That's her." He was _pretty_ sure she wore a black ring. But the pink hijab was definitely a mark of her signature style.

"Mm… I mean, I kind of know her?" Claudia made a so-so gesture with her hand. "She's in my theatre class, but she kind of keeps to herself. The quiet type. Comes across as a little intimidating to people who've never interacted with her before." She glanced at him. "Why? How do you know her?"

"Rayla and I have Renaissance History with her," he explained, addressing her second question first. "And… er, no reason in particular, to be honest? She just kind of - kind of abruptly joined our group for the big midterm project? Not that I'm complaining, because she's been really cool so far and has actually pulled her weight in the assignment, which some people don't bother to do for group projects. It was just…" He struggled to articulate his point. "A little strange, I guess," was what he decided on. "Mostly because we didn't know her and had never talked to her until that day, when the project was assigned."

"I get the impression she just tends to do her own thing and doesn't put up with crap from anyone," Claudia mused. "It's kind of cool, actually. I might try to talk to her the next time I see her in class. I love making friends." She gave Callum a mischievous grin. "Is she single, by any chance?"

Callum stared at her. "What?"

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Callum, we have been over this. I experience romantic and sexual attraction to -"

"Oh my God, Claudia, no, that's not what I meant," he protested, his face growing red. "I'm not _that_ stupid. But - But you barely know her? Who dates people they don't know?"

"90% of people with a half-decent internet connection," she pointed out. Which was… very accurate. Her phone then buzzed, and she glanced at the notification before rolling her eyes and ignoring whoever it was. Maybe Viren again. "Also, literally _you_. Everyone knows you fell for Rayla the moment you saw her!"

"Not true," he protested. He would argue it was at least the _second_ time he saw her - in their first Renaissance History class together. "But touché. That said, I don't see any way of me finding out Sonya's relationship status without sounding like a creep or causing a massive misunderstanding with Rayla."

Claudia laughed, nudging him with her shoulder. "I know. I'm just kidding, Callum. I'm a big girl. I'll get to know her as a friend first."

Well, that was a relief.

The game continued to pass without much fanfare. There were plenty of impressive plays, of course, but a major factor of that was because the opposing team had virtually no defense to _stop_ those plays from occurring.

"If we keep stomping them like this, we may not see Soren at all in the second half," Claudia said, absentmindedly braiding her hair over her left shoulder. "Which might make the game even _more _dull, but sacrifices have to be made."

Callum frowned, confused by her comment. He still didn't know too much about football, even though he was trying to learn more for Rayla's sake. "What do you mean?"

"Coach Zhou won't want to risk Soren getting injured," she explained. "Quarterbacks are hard to replace, for one, but also because if we've already crushed the other team to where they have no chance of catching up, then a lot of first-string players will probably be pulled to ensure none of them get hurt from something stupid. It's basically a means of guaranteeing that the best players stay healthy for the next game while also allowing second- and third-strings to actually have some time out on the field."

Huh. He learned something new every game.

Halftime came around and Callum got out his phone to scroll through Instagram. Ezran was hanging out with Aanya, as there were several videos on his story of them trying to bake… something. Every now and then Harrow could be heard in the background, reminding them about where they could find the fire extinguisher if they needed it.

Callum noticed that a 'Sonya J.' was newly recommended for him to follow, presumably because Sonya had been added to his contacts recently. She had a private account. He hesitated, then sent her a follow request.

Returning to his feed didn't reveal much new. Apparently people weren't posting much at 1:24 pm on a Saturday. Except Ezran. Again. He'd added a picture to his story of Bait balanced atop his hair while Aanya facepalmed in the background, flour all over the front of both their aprons.

He screenshotted that one to laugh at again later.

Callum then got a notification that Sonya had sent him a follow request, though she had not accepted his own. Fair enough. He, too, often liked seeing people's accounts before he allowed them to follow him, so after brief deliberation he granted her request.

He clicked on her profile, because although he couldn't see any of her posts, basic information about her account was still available. It said she only had one post - valid - and her bio simply stated: _we don't know as much as we think we do_.

Hmm. A little creepy.

The girl was hard to read.

Halftime ended, and thus the game resumed, so he put his phone away. He could learn more about Sonya another time, and in a way that didn't involve him stalking her social media like some weirdo.

Although Callum really did try his best to pay attention to the football game occurring before him, he couldn't stop his mind from drifting to all of his upcoming midterms. Mostly physics. He kept reviewing formulas in his head.

Of course, he glanced down at the field just in time to see a KSU jersey with 16 on it get bulldozed by a massive defender. He hadn't even realized he'd leapt to his feet, a pained cry of "Rayla!" escaping his lips as he did so, until Claudia threw her arm out in front of him to stop him from charging out of the stands and onto the field.

"Easy, tiger," she said, gently pushing him backwards. "Give her a second to get up. Rayla's tough."

Callum wanted to argue, but no sound came out. His mouth had never felt so dry. He knew Claudia was right. Rayla _was_ tough, and besides, he couldn't charge down onto the field every time Rayla was tackled in a particularly nasty fashion. But still… something about this guy seemed off. The massive screen at the end of the stadium zoomed in on him helping Rayla to her feet.

Callum didn't miss the way his girlfriend winced and then glared at the player as he yanked her up, the defender squeezing her hand tightly before letting go.

Rayla went off to the sidelines, cradling her left arm to her chest. Seconds later, she and one of the team's health personnels - for lack of a better description on Callum's part - disappeared into the locker room.

"That bastard hurt her!" Callum snapped, turning to face Claudia. "Did you see that? Did you see what he did to her?!"

Claudia bit her lip. "It definitely looked like he might have injured her. But -"

"But nothing!" he interrupted, anger bubbling in his chest. "You _saw_ it. He obviously hurt her hand, Claudia!"

"Okay. Whether that's true or not - which it probably is, don't get me wrong - you know you can't go anywhere until the game ends," Claudia pointed out. "So sit down, take some deep breaths, and get ready to wait. You've got another half hour, max. Plus" - she held up her phone - "I already texted Soren. He just got pulled out of the game, and he is getting us an update on her condition as we speak. Okay?"

He was incredibly lucky that Claudia was here to help him rationalize the situation, wasn't he? Which he would have found hilarious if he hadn't been so wracked by anxiety, since it was usually the other way around. "Right." He sat down. "Sorry. I guess I was overreacting. I'm just… really worried."

"Oh, you don't need to apologize." Claudia's grip on her phone tightened, and Callum could have sworn he heard the plastic case crack. "If that jerk _did_ hurt her, intentionally or not, I'm going to rip him limb from limb."

Ah, there was the violent Claudia he knew and loved.

"Ugh, and my dad _still_ won't stop texting me, either!" she grumbled as her phone began to buzz, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "I love him, but sometimes he needs to understand that Soren and I don't function solely on his schedule."

Callum frowned. "Does he need something from you guys?"

Claudia sighed. "He just keeps asking where we are, since we always try to eat lunch with him at the house on Saturdays, but we told him _ages _ago that Soren had a game today so we wouldn't be there. Not to mention that by now he really should know the football schedule by heart, because it was released at the beginning of the semester and Soren and I are constantly talking about upcoming games, but…" She shook her head, sighing again. "He can be ridiculously forgetful sometimes. It's so annoying."

Callum briefly wondered how it was possible that Viren didn't know his son's football schedule even though it was virtually the same every week, unless he was for some reason _deliberately_ refusing to learn it, but he was distracted by his own phone buzzing before he could contemplate the thought any further.

_Sonya: turned on the tv just in time to see Rayla being taken off the field_

_Sonya: want to reschedule the renhist meetup?_

_Callum: if you're okay with it, that'd be great. we currently don't know how hurt she is_

_Sonya: of course. lmk how she's doing when you find out. and text me the next date that works for you whenever you can_

He responded with a thumbs up emoji before tucking his phone into his satchel. He turned back to Claudia to ask her a question, but stopped when he noticed how intently she was staring at her phone.

"Okay," she said after a pause. "Soren told me that she's fine. Her left middle finger is lightly sprained, but she has no other injuries. They put ice on it immediately, which is keeping it from swelling too much. Apparently it should be fully healed within one or two weeks."

Callum found himself breathing a heavy sigh of relief. "Okay. That's good." Rayla was going to be fine. She wasn't hurt badly.

"He also said that Rayla doesn't think the defender _meant_ to hurt her," Claudia continued. "Apparently her finger was already 'throbbing' because she caught the football at a strange angle." Then she snorted. "But Rayla did say that the guy was kind of a jerk, because apparently he'd been trying to trash-talk her the entire night on the line since she's the only girl out of both teams."

Callum scrunched his nose in disgust. "Ugh. Yeah, he sounds like a total douchebag."

"Agreed. I'll tell Soren you said so."

"You don't have to - okay. Fine." It wasn't like he could stop her.

Thankfully, the game ended without further incident. As soon as the play clock hit zero, Callum and Claudia began hastily making their way towards the locker room. Callum was silently grateful that the crowd had been so small, plus at least half had already left at the beginning of the fourth quarter because of KSU's massive lead.

Inside the locker room, Rayla was sitting on a plastic red chair, her left arm propped up as a dark-haired woman was wrapping her finger. Soren and Felix were already standing on her other side, and they both beckoned the two over as they entered. The woman finished taping Rayla's finger before nodding and taking her leave.

"So, how's the patient?" Claudia asked as they joined the group.

"Terrible," Rayla grumbled at the same time Soren and Felix cheerily announced, "Great!"

"Okay, I'm picking up a slight lack of consensus," Claudia said, amused. "Let's go to the source. Rayla? How are you feeling?"

"I'm pissed!" she shouted, waving her hand angrily on instinct before wincing. "One to two weeks to heal? We play _Neolandia _in two weeks! I can't miss that game!"

Callum had no clue who Neolandia was, though the name did sound vaguely familiar. Still, he found himself almost scared to ask.

"Neolandia is our biggest rival," Soren explained, and Callum had to wonder if both he and Claudia could somehow read minds. "We've lost the past eight games we've played with them, but this year we actually have a solid chance of winning."

"And Rayla is our best wide receiver," Felix added. "If she can't play, it's going to make pulling off a win _way_ harder."

"Thus, I am pissed," Rayla concluded. "And it's all because I mistimed my step and had to reach out at the last second with a one-handed grab. Stupid. How could I have been so _stupid_?!"

Callum hated seeing his girlfriend beat herself up like this. "To be fair, it couldn't have helped that the defender practically crushed your hand when he was helping you up," he pointed out. "So you shouldn't only blame yourself. That's not fair to you."

Rayla looked like she wanted to argue, but then she evidently changed her mind and instead nodded stiffly. "Yeah. That didn't help."

"But you're going to be fine!" Soren insisted. "The… new doctor lady -"

"Michaelyn."

"- Michaelyn, thank you, Felix, said that if you don't overexert that hand, you'll be back to normal in a week at the _most_. So all you have to do is chill for seven days. Easy peasy. The only game you won't play in is the one against Evenere - no big deal."

"It _is_ a big deal!" Rayla protested. "That's still an entire week of practice I'll be missing out on. Practice that could be _invaluable _for the game against Neolandia."

Both Soren and Felix started to argue with her further, but they were cut off when their coach stepped into the locker room.

"Soren. Felix." He sent them a look, then stepped back out.

Soren and Felix proceeded to exchange tired glances, then followed him out. Claudia, her eyes glinting in curiosity, not-so-subtly tagged along.

Callum shook his head, feeling rather awed. "How do they do that?"

Rayla frowned. "Do what?"

He sat down on the bench her chair had been pulled next to. "Communicate without words. I could never manage it. Either tell me stuff straight or accept that I won't understand."

Rayla blinked, then laughed. "I've actually been wondering about that unspoken language myself. It's probably some football thing, and I just haven't been on the team long enough to pick it up yet."

"Eh. You'll get it eventually." Callum's gaze fell to her injured hand, noticing that her middle finger had been taped to her ring finger.

Rayla must have seen him staring, because she held up her hand to give him a better look. "It's called buddy taping. This will keep me from bending my sprained finger as well as allow it to heal faster. And correctly, of course."

Callum nodded, intrigued. "That's really cool."

Rayla gave him a strained smile, her hand falling back down to her lap.

"Hey," he said gently, reaching out to push her hair out of her face. "You can talk to me, Rayla. What's going on?"

She sighed. "It's nothing."

"It's obviously not nothing. You can't lie to me." He hesitated, unsure of whether or not he was in any place to rightfully ask his next question, but… "Did that guy say something to you? When he was… 'helping' you up?"

Rayla grimaced. "Ah… he may have had a few choice words for me. About being a girl. And… well, you know. Being Xadian."

Callum felt his chest seize in anger. "That asshole!" He slammed his fist onto the bench. "Can - Can you report him for harassment, or hate speech, or something? Literally anything? He doesn't deserve to walk away from that without facing any consequences!"

Rayla shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He was a dick, and I don't really care what does or doesn't happen to him. I'm sure karma will eventually come around."

Callum wanted to argue. He wanted to insist that there was no way in hell he could stay silent and complicit while someone like that got away without due punishment, but he could see a certain… ache in Rayla's eyes, and he knew outrage was not what his girlfriend needed at that moment.

"Okay," he finally said. "Consider him gone, then." He reached out, gently turning her chin to have her face him directly. "So what's _really_ going on in your head?"

Rayla stared at him for a moment, then chuckled. "Wow. I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

Callum shook his head, unable to keep a smile off his lips. "Nope. You might as well confess."

She sighed. "It's honestly nothing, I swear. I just…" She trailed off, taking a deep, slow breath before she continued. "I feel so… _frustrated_ that there's a chance, even though it's a ridiculously small one, that I won't be able to play in the game against Neolandia. And that game is - it's so important for everyone on the team! I _have_ to be there for them! And I know I'll probably be fine and everything will work out but… What if it doesn't?" She absentmindedly ran her uninjured hand over the tape on her fingers. "I just… don't want to disappoint anyone."

Callum took a moment to collect his thoughts. This was eerily similar to Big Feelings Time, like when he and Ez were little and Harrow was trying to get them to be honest with him. "First, I think you need to listen to yourself," he said gently. "Everything is more than likely going to be fine, right?"

"I mean, yeah, but -"

"And," he interrupted, "even if it's _not_ fine, no one is going to blame you for anything that happens, Rayla. Players get injured all the time, usually a result of something that's completely outside of their control. What you need to do is focus on what you _can_ control - getting healthy. Do your best to get your hand in tip-top shape for the big game. That's all."

Rayla hesitated, then smiled at him, her violet eyes glimmering with relief and affection as some of the tension left her shoulders. "Thanks, sweet prince." She placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"And, if you want to basically _guarantee_ that you'll be okay for the game against Neolandia," he continued, pretending he wasn't blushing, "I do have a suggestion."

Rayla gave him a wary look. "Alright… What are you thinking?"

"Don't take part in football practice for five days. Go to the game against Evenere to cheer on KSU, but don't play. You can go back to practice the Monday after."

Rayla's jaw dropped, as if she couldn't believe what he was suggesting. _He _thought it was pretty logical. "You're kidding, right?"

Callum shook his head. "Nope. I know it's not ideal, but it _will_ guarantee that your finger is healed in time for the game against Neolandia."

Rayla groaned. "Sometimes I _really_ hate how rational you are."

He laughed. "Come on. Promise me you'll give my proposal a try."

She sighed, though the reluctance in her voice was obvious. "Fine. Whatever."

"I'd like to hear the words 'I promise'."

Rayla rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright. I promise I'll give your proposal a _try_. Nothing more."

"And I will hold you to that promise, young lady." Callum pushed her hair out of her face again. Then a thought occurred to him. "You know, I just realized that this little injury of yours isn't _all_ bad." He carefully lifted her left hand, gently intertwining his fingers around hers, as if she only had four because of the two that were taped together. "See?" He grinned at her. "A perfect fit."

Rayla snorted. "Wow. I don't know if that's cute or morbid."

"Cute, preferably."

"Mm, I think I was leaning towards morbid."

He laughed, slowly releasing her hand. "Fine. Maybe it's a _little_ morbid." His smile shifted into a smirk as a thought occurred. "But you know what, Rayla? I think I figured out the _real_ cause of your injury tonight. And it's not because you misstepped to catch the football."

Rayla's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you going on about?"

"I'm pretty sure you got hurt because you rejected my good luck kiss before the game."

She groaned, but she was smiling. "Alas. The curse of practicality strikes again." Then her smile widened into a grin, and she tapped her chin with her uninjured hand. "But I do recall mentioning a kiss for _after _we won the game. And we _did_ win."

"Okay, you're not wrong there," Callum admitted. "Do you think a kiss to your finger would make it feel better?"

Rayla shrugged. "The Ibuprofen has started to kick in for that. But I think a kiss would make my lips feel better for sure."

Callum frowned, feeling like he was walking into a joke but not entirely sure how. "Are your lips hurt, too?"

"Oh, they'll hurt if you kiss me hard enough."

Callum was fairly certain that comment caused his brain to short-circuit and completely shut down. Not _fully_ certain, of course, because he couldn't remember a single thing that happened in the ten seconds that followed.

Yeah, he was pretty sure he just sat there, completely frozen, trying to process her words.

Rayla was clearly trying - and mostly failing - to hold back her laughter. "I'm so sorry, Callum. I didn't - I didn't mean to _break_ you."

Normally, Callum would have been embarrassed by her teasing, but hearing her laugh somehow made it all better. Happiness was his favorite look on her, and he was glad to help her forget her worries, even if just for a short time. Although apparently at the expense of some of his dignity.

Ah, well. Sacrifices had to be made.

He proceeded to silence his girlfriend by capturing her lips in a brief kiss. "Remind me of that idea," he said, winking at her, "some other time."

Rayla turned red, but the excited sparkle in her eyes glittered bright as ever. "Will do."

xXxXxXx

**I know Sonya wasn't really in this chapter but I love writing her lmao. She's so fun. Anyways! Rayla is injured, hmm? Curious, curious... ;) I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you for reading!**


	18. and this, kids, is what we call conflict

**1\. Xenophobia is "the fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange/foreign to what one perceives as normal". Xenophobia is often connected to nationalism (e.g. believing one's nation is superior to others) and has been linked to discrimination/hate crimes, increased implicit bias, anti-immigration laws, and even war and genocide (e.g. the Holocaust). Today, Covid-19 has fueled anti-Asian xenophobia (ever heard someone call it the "China virus"?). Islamophobia - while it existed before the 9/11 attacks - has increased since that incident, and disproportionately impacts people who "look" Muslim (e.g. women who wear scarves). To combat internalized/implicit xenophobia, there are many things a person can do! Travel to different places (after the pandemic ends, please), actively interact with people of different cultures/religions/etc., and make a conscious effort to identify xenophobia in day-to-day life (be it one's own xenophobic thoughts or xenophobic actions committed/words said by someone else - and call them out on it!). (This information is condensed from a post on xenophobia by soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram!)**

**I am about to start college... I do not like thinking about this. It's very nerve-wracking. And my classes are basically all online, so I'm worried I'm going to struggle learning virtually, too. But I'll get through it! It's definitely better than dying from the virus, lol. (If y'all wanna give me some tips to survive college, I would not be opposed.) Anyways! Idk if you guys noticed, but my chapter titles degrade in quality with each new chapter lmao. But I hope you enjoy this update nonetheless! :)**

xXxXxXx

_Callum: are you sure you don't want me to pick you up? I'll be passing by your dorm anyways on the way there_

_Rayla: nah it's really fine. nbd. see you soon!_

_Rayla: (if i'm late tell Sonya i'm sorry lol)_

She wouldn't _be_ late if she caught a ride with _him_, Callum wanted to point out, but he refrained. Being snippy would get him nowhere.

_Callum: of course. see you there_

He sighed as he put his phone away. He and Rayla were meeting Sonya at a local halal restaurant for an early dinner to discuss their project for Renaissance History, with mid-afternoon chosen as the time so it wouldn't clash with Sonya's daily prayers. That morning, he and his girlfriend had made plans to drive there together, but less than five minutes ago - completely out of the blue - she'd informed him she was getting a ride from Claudia instead. He didn't understand what part her schedule had changed, but he also didn't want to start an argument with her, so he let it be, even though the real reason he'd wanted to drive her was so he could show her his finished work he was submitting for the fall art showcase.

He supposed he could always show her some other time.

'Show her some other time.' That was the only thing he was telling himself these days, wasn't it? The same excuse, the same dull reassurance.

Regardless, it was disappointing. To say the least.

Rayla had been acting… distant the past few days. If he really tried to put a date to it, probably ever since she'd sprained her finger. At first he thought her distance was just a result of residual embarrassment about her injury and not wanting to continue being so vulnerable around him and their friends, which was understandable and he didn't blame her for that. But now… he wasn't so sure. She'd brushed him off several times since then and had even cancelled a movie date they'd had planned for Monday evening as a way to distract her from the football practice she would be missing. _That_ had really caught his attention, because she'd both picked out the movie and bought the tickets for it.

Callum was just… worried about her.

Obviously he didn't think she was cheating or something asinine like that. In fact, he was all but certain that her distance and secretive behavior was related to her injury. He just didn't know _how_.

He'd tried asking Soren and Felix, but neither of them seemed to have any idea what he was talking about. Callum had temporarily considered the possibility that Felix was merely _acting_ clueless, since he knew Felix was in a theatre elective for his art credit, but considering that Soren couldn't lie to save his life, he figured they were both being honest about their… erm, lack of knowledge.

Claudia, however, was a different story.

He and Claudia told each other _everything_. They always had. The only person Callum was more open with than her was Ezran - Rayla was at that same level, too, or so he'd thought until now - and even then he'd argue it was pretty close between his half-brother and pseudo-sister. As a result, Callum could tell when she was hiding something from him.

And Claudia was _definitely_ hiding something from him. Anytime he brought up Rayla in conversation, she'd laugh her slightly-too-high-pitched laugh that he knew meant she was avoiding whatever topic had been at hand before she quickly changed the subject. It was almost funny - for someone who loved theatre as much as she did and was _seriously_ good at it, Claudia was a pretty terrible liar. Or, to give her credit where it was due, maybe Callum just knew her too well to be fooled.

At one point he thought he'd finally convinced her to spill whatever was going on with Rayla, but then she'd balked, instead telling him that if Rayla hadn't told him herself what was happening, then she didn't feel it was her place to do so, either. Claudia proceeded to immediately reassure him that Rayla was _fine_ and the fact that she hadn't said anything to him yet probably meant it wasn't a big deal.

Still. How could he not worry?

Callum arrived at the restaurant seven minutes after four, and he internally chastised himself for being late. He shouldn't have let his concern for Rayla - likely _unnecessary _concern, for that matter - distract him from his academics, especially because other people were depending on him.

Sure enough, Sonya was already sitting at a corner booth inside, three glasses resting on the table in front of her.

"As-Salaam-Alaikum," Callum said when he arrived, placing a hand flat on his chest and praying he wasn't bungling the pronunciation. He'd practiced with a recording multiple times to make sure he was getting it right, and at one point he'd even sent it to Ezran - who'd always had a knack for languages - to get his opinion on the matter.

Sonya appeared surprised at his greeting, and Callum had to wonder if he'd screwed it up somehow. Then a tiny smile twitched at the corners of her lips, and he could feel some of the knots of tension in his body uncoiling. "Wa-Alaikum-Salaam," she replied, tilting her head towards him. "Thank you."

Callum could only nod in response, relieved that he hadn't embarrassed himself in front of her or - much worse - accidentally been disrespectful.

"I went ahead and got us all water," she said as he sat down across from her on the other side of the booth. "I hope that's okay."

"Oh, yeah, that's fine," Callum reassured her as he took off his satchel and placed it beside him on the seat. "Also, I am so sorry that I'm late. I was doing a philosophy assignment" - a lie, unless worrying about his girlfriend and questioning her motives could be considered equivalent to philosophical thought - "and Rayla said she'll probably be late, too, so -"

"Don't worry about it," Sonya said dismissively, taking a sip of her water. "I haven't been waiting long."

Callum noticed she still wore a black ring on her right middle finger. That and her pink hijab seemed to be the two staples of her attire, as she was now wearing a simple navy blue sweater and jeans instead of the more dark, punk aesthetic she'd presented the last time he'd seen her in class.

Callum started to ask her some general pleasantries about how she was doing and what she'd been up to since they'd last spoken over text, but he was interrupted by his phone buzzing loudly before he could get more than one or two words out.

_Rayla: on my way! like 6 minutes eta? but no pressure to wait up_

"Rayla's almost here," he passed on to Sonya, who obviously - well, hopefully - couldn't read his messages from where she sat. "She's only about five minutes away, so do we want to wait for her before we start going over more of our project, or…?"

Sonya shrugged. "Waiting works for me. I trust our ability to be productive, even with less time."

Callum nodded and quickly texted Rayla that they'd wait for her before he set his phone down. The silence that followed was… a little awkward, he couldn't lie. He wasn't great at starting conversations, and Sonya already seemed to be a bit more closed off than the average person. She was nice, of course, she just… didn't talk about herself much. And he didn't want to pressure her or make her feel like she had no choice but to tell him her life story.

"So," he began, fiddling with the straw in his water. "Did you have a good weekend?" A boring question, but at least not a weird, overly-personal one.

"It was alright," Sonya answered with a noncommittal shrug. "I spend most of it studying for midterms and working on our project."

Right. 90% of the school had used most of the weekend to study, himself included. Duh.

"But I did catch some of the game, though. Like I mentioned when we were texting. You never told me what happened when Rayla was taken off the field early." She raised an eyebrow at him. "_Is_ she okay?"

Callum silently cursed, because he'd totally forgotten about answering her text. "Right. I'm sorry about that. Yes, Rayla is fine. The doctor said she just has a light sprain in her finger and that she could be back to normal by the end of the week if she doesn't use her hand too much and risk overextending it."

"No need to apologize." She gave him a small smile. "I imagine you prioritized taking care of her over answering my text. Completely understandable. But I'm glad to hear she's okay."

"Yep!"

There was another awkward pause. Callum found himself wishing that Claudia would just break a few speed limit laws and get Rayla there already. His girlfriend was far better at keeping conversations flowing smoothly than he was.

"I noticed you carry a sketchbook around with you," Sonya offered. "Are you an art major?"

Callum tried not to show how relieved he was that she'd broken the silence. "Art minor, actually. I've had this sketchbook since I was a kid." In fact, he was nearing the final fifth or sixth fraction of the blank pages, but he didn't really want to think about that just yet.

Sonya laughed. "Ah, the nostalgia factor of studying art. I know how that feels." She smiled at him, and Callum found himself wondering if this was the first time he'd ever seen that expression on her. A full, genuine smile, not a - a smirk or a half-smile or something along those lines. "You know, I actually started at KSU as an art major."

Callum blinked in surprise. "Wait, really?"

"Yep," she said, popping the 'p'. "And then I switched majors maybe a month into my freshman year. Probably less."

Callum didn't know what had sparked her sudden openness about herself, but he realized he didn't mind in the slightest. Though he was silently thanking the universe that the subject she'd chosen to talk about was art-related. "Really? What made you change?"

Sonya's nose wrinkled with distaste. "I couldn't stand the… academia of it. Don't get me wrong, I love learning about the history of art and new artistic techniques and mediums, but something about the classroom setting made it too… confined for me." She glanced up at him, having previously been examining and picking at her fingernails, which Callum noticed were expertly painted to match her pink hijab. "Does that make sense?"

Callum nodded, possibly a little too eagerly. Not that he could bring himself to care. "Yes, definitely. I went through like seven art teachers as a kid before my dad - you probably know him, Professor Harrow - gave up and just made sure I had the tools I needed to learn on my own. Like my sketchbook." A long-internalized resistance to art academia was one of the reasons he was - for now - only minoring in the subject.

"Exactly," Sonya affirmed. "Art should be about freedom, not a letter on a transcript." She then paused, raising an eyebrow at him. "And I have to be honest - I didn't know Professor Harrow was your father. You don't exactly -"

"Look like him?" Callum finished with a wry smile. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

Sonya held up her hands in mock-surrender. "Fair enough. Who am I to judge?" She took another sip of her water. "Anyways. Art minor. You planning to submit a piece for the fall art showcase?"

Callum was pretty sure his eyes lit up like a kid getting their birthday presents at her question. "Yes, actually!" He hesitated before asking tentatively, "Do you - er, would you like to see it?"

Sonya chuckled. "I'd love to."

He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his recent photos to find the picture he'd taken of his stadium-Colosseum fusion. "I don't have a title yet," he admitted as he handed his phone to her, "but I'm still pretty proud of it. I think it's one of my best works yet."

"Firstly, you can be proud of anything you create simply because you _made_ it. You put your heart into your work and that's enough reason to be proud," Sonya pointed out. "But second" - she gestured to the picture he was showing her, a small smirk sliding on her lips - "that piece is absolutely incredible, and you _should _be very proud of it." She learned forward to zoom in on a section where the Colosseum's wall was crumbling. "_Fantastic_ job on the shading here. It gives the destruction so much depth, reminding the viewer just how old the building is."

Callum could feel himself blushing at her praise, and he did his best to not show how he was freaking out on the inside. That'd be embarrassing, especially because Sonya seemed so cool and collected. "Thank you! That part required a lot of practice sketches and do-overs."

"The best things tend to."

Callum hesitated before he asked his next question, unsure if he was getting _too _familiar with her, but forced himself to push aside that nagging voice of cowardice in his mind. "Do you still do art on your own time? Even though you don't study it anymore?"

Sonya nodded. "Oh, yeah. Most definitely." She twisted her ring before smirking at him. "And yes, I promise I'll show you some of my work. Another time."

Callum laughed as he tried to hide his mild panic because how on Earth had she known he was going to ask that?! "Awesome. I look forward to it."

Just then, his phone buzzed with a text informing him that Rayla had arrived, and sure enough she entered the restaurant a few seconds later. Upon spotting their table, she quickly walked over to them and slid into the booth beside Callum.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized. Callum noticed that her face had a pink tint to it, and tiny beads of sweat decorated her forehead, beads which were only visible because she had her hair tied up in a bun. "Soren tried to take a shortcut on the way here, but all it did was get us turned around, so we ended up having to circle back."

Callum frowned. Soren? He thought Claudia was the one who'd given her a ride.

"Don't worry about it," Sonya said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We weren't waiting long. Callum and I passed the time by talking about art, anyways, and he showed me the piece he's submitting to the fall art showcase. It's incredible. You must be very excited on his behalf."

Uh oh.

Callum felt his entire body tense up at her words, and he glanced at Rayla out of the corner of his eye just in time to see hurt and confusion flicker across her face for the briefest of seconds.

"Oh. Yes! Yes, absolutely." Her cheery tone was obviously forced. Or so it sounded to him. "That's - That's really great! I'm glad you guys found something in common to… chat about while you waited for me."

God, now he felt so guilty. He hadn't _meant_ to not show Rayla his finished project. The chance had just never come up! And it had also absolutely _not_ helped that she'd constantly brushed him off the past few days, so part of the situation could be considered her fault, too. Ultimately, they were _both _responsible. Or maybe he was just trying to make himself feel better.

But she'd understand, right? It was Rayla, after all. Things would work out.

"Anyways," Rayla continued, her smile tighter than usual, "why waste time? Let's start going over our project, shall we?"

And so they did, only stopping twice, first to order their food and second to thank the waitress when she brought it over.

Callum had examined the development of humanism and individualism during the Italian Renaissance, while Sonya had studied the same through the Northern Renaissance and Rayla the English one. All in all, their project was progressing along nicely.

The purpose of their meeting that day had been to begin drafting their presentation, so they created a detailed outline of the information they wanted to include in what order, as well as figured out how to get their respective topics and sections to best flow together. Rayla ended up volunteering to write the speaking portions, and Callum agreed to put the PowerPoint together. Sonya offered to help both of them wherever they needed. Normally Callum would have suspected that type of suggestion to be one where it _sounded_ like the person would be assisting but wouldn't actually end up _doing_ anything, but with Sonya, he had a feeling she'd go above and beyond to help them. Her notes had been the most detailed, after all, though Rayla's had contained the most precise analysis.

Not that he'd told his girlfriend that.

The air was definitely… tense between himself and Rayla. Callum had no doubt that Sonya noticed, but he was thankful that she didn't comment. He mostly felt bad she had to witness it.

He could tell that Rayla was upset he hadn't shown her his piece for the fall art showcase. And he understood why! She'd been one of his primary supporters as he'd worked on it, second to maybe Harrow and Ezran, even as he'd refused to let anyone - her included - see the picture while it was still a work in progress. Not to mention he'd _promised _her that she'd be one of the first people he showed when it was finished.

And then she hadn't been.

But he himself was also feeling a bit frustrated with his girlfriend's evasive, inconsistent behavior over the past few days. She was definitely hiding something from him. Lying about getting a ride with Claudia, cancelling plans last minute - he didn't know whether to be angry with her or worried. Which was probably why he was both.

They needed to talk.

God. Poor Sonya, having to put up with their silent feud. He owed her big time.

"I'm really pleased with everything we've gotten done so far," Sonya said as they split the bill, each making sure to chip in for their waitress's tip, too. "My cousin Samirah says her group is still yet to finish even getting their necessary information together." She rolled her eyes. "Which is her own fault for partnering with Alex and Magnus. I _warned _her not to."

"Do you normally work in a group with them?" Callum found himself asking.

Sonya nodded, drinking the last of her water. "Not always, but often. I love them to death, don't get me wrong, but I didn't trust them for something as important as a midterm." She clicked her tongue, then corrected herself. "Let me rephrase: I don't trust _Magnus_."

"Why did you choose to work with us?" Rayla asked after a pause. Her voice was hesitant - a tone Callum didn't often hear from her. "I mean, we aren't exactly… you know. The most popular kids in class."

Sonya sighed. "Maybe not. But everyone in our class who looks down on you is a complete fool, blinded by their bigotry and some twisted sense of self-righteousness, as I'm sure you know." She twisted her ring around her finger. Callum was starting to pick up on that action as something she did when she was thinking. "The main reason I wanted to partner with you two is because your work is _always _some of the best in our class. This time, I was determined to be part of a group that I knew would be as dedicated to the project as I was, since the midterm is such an important grade. But also…" She chewed her bottom lip, then shrugged helplessly. "Ugh. I don't know, really. I guess I just got tired of people whispering about you behind your back."

"Oh," Rayla said, touched. There was a softness to her smile that followed. "That's really kind, Sonya."

Sonya snorted. "Don't give me too much credit. It still took me until early October to work up the nerve. But…" She reached up, almost subconsciously, to finger the edge of her hijab that fell around her collarbone. "I guess I just felt like I understood what you were going through, at least to some extent. Especially you, Rayla." She gave them both a wry smile. "I've had my hijab torn off before. Been called a terrorist once or twice." She snorted. "That's why I don't like public transport. I have also been accused of 'subjugating' myself to men because I choose to wear a hijab." She shook her head. "I suppose some people cannot and will never understand that other cultures and religions exist outside of their own."

Callum knew it wasn't his place to speak on this subject. Not that he would have known what to say even if he could. Really, all he wanted to do was pull the both of them into a giant group hug, but instinct told him that now was not the time. He also wasn't sure if Sonya would even be okay with him hugging her, and he didn't want to overstep.

"I'm sorry you've had to go through that," Rayla said softly. "But… I appreciate you telling me." She tilted her head, giving Sonya a small smile. "Maybe this is a depressing perspective, but it's kinda nice to have someone who gets it."

Sonya chuckled, returning her smile. "Agreed."

The heartfelt moment was promptly shattered by Callum's phone buzzing loudly. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry," he said, feeling absolutely mortified as he grabbed his phone to see who'd texted him. He thought he'd put it on 'do not disturb', but apparently not. "I feel like I've interrupted the emotional climax of a movie."

Both of them burst out laughing at his comment. Rayla's laugh was especially nice to hear. It felt like he hadn't heard her laugh so freely in ages.

"You're fine," Sonya reassured him. "But you should probably answer whoever that was."

Callum nodded, still embarrassed, and turned his attention to his phone.

_Claudia: are you and rayla on your way back yet?_

_Claudia: i forgot about an online calc assignment due tonight!_

_Claudia: and if i forgot_

_Claudia: rayla DEFINITELY forgot_

Callum had to bite back a laugh at her messages, and he lifted his head to turn and face his girlfriend. "So… Claudia says you guys have some kind of calc assignment due tonight that she forgot about?"

Rayla's eyes widened, and she pulled her own phone out of her back pocket to pull up her assignment calendar. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. I hate Dr. Harsch."

Sonya chuckled as she watched Rayla jam her phone back into her pocket. "I take it we're about to have to go our separate ways."

"Yes. I'm so sorry," Rayla said as she slid out of the booth. Callum noticed her wince as her buddy-taped fingers hit the edge of the table. "Stupid calculus class. I should have listened to Ethari and taken an AP math in high school so I'd have all my STEM credits already."

They said their goodbyes to Sonya, promising to text daily in the group chat to make sure progress on their presentation continued as planned. Then they split up, Callum leading Rayla to his car while Sonya headed the opposite direction down the sidewalk.

The drive to the girls' dorms consisted mostly of Rayla texting Claudia about their calculus assignment while simultaneously complaining to Callum about how irritated she was with their professor. "All of my other classes will send out a Remind or an email about stuff like this! But _no_, not Dr. Harsch. He just wants to see us suffer." She sighed. "I'm being unfair. He's not even the worst teacher. He's just bad with technology."

"Yeah, I've heard a few horror stories about him not alerting students about their assignments," Callum said as he turned left onto the road that would take them to the dorms' parking lot. "Makes me even more grateful that I tested out of intro-level calc."

"Uh huh. Mr. 'I took a bajillion AP classes'." He couldn't look to see her face because he was driving, but he knew she was smirking at him. "No need to rub it in. I know I am but a mere peasant to you."

"Hey, I can't that help that - _shit_!" Callum slammed on the brakes as someone sprinted across the road in front of his car, narrowly avoiding getting hit. "Jesus Christ, what an idiot!"

Rayla had thrown her arm out onto the dash to brace herself, and was now wincing and cradling her injured fingers. "Ow," she muttered, flexing her hand and grimacing. "That was not the brightest idea on my part."

Callum quickly pulled into the dorm parking lot, turning awkwardly between a set of painted white lines and not really caring that his car was crooked. He proceeded to nearly sprain his own finger in his haste to unbuckle and check on his girlfriend. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't see them coming -"

"You're fine," Rayla interrupted gently. "No need to apologize." She slowly flexed her hand again, still wincing slightly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked worriedly, reaching out to touch her shoulder. He tried not to let the hurt show on his face as she pulled away.

"Yeah. It's no big deal." She managed a laugh, as if trying to ease the tension. "Honestly, I almost did something way worse to it earlier."

Callum frowned. "What? How could you have - What were you…" He trailed off, eyes widening as the puzzle pieces finally fell into place.

Soren driving her to the restaurant.

Her hair being tied up. The sweat on her forehead.

Why Claudia was being so evasive.

"You've been going to football practice."

Rayla froze, and he knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "I don't know what -"

"Seriously, Rayla?!" He leaned back into the headrest of his seat, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "No wonder you haven't been able to look me in the eyes lately. It also explains why you've cancelled literally all of our plans the past few days!" He bit back an aggravated sigh. "You _promised_ me that you wouldn't go back to practice until your hand was ready."

"But I _am_ ready!" Rayla protested. "And I technically didn't promise you anything other than that I would _try_ to follow your advice. Besides, I can't let something this small get in my way. I'd just be letting the team down -"

"I said you should go back when your _body_ was ready, Rayla," Callum interrupted, trying not to snap at her. "I know your _mind_ wants you back in the action as soon as possible, but you have to let yourself _heal_ first. You're not letting the team down by taking some time off to get better!"

"See, this is why I didn't tell you," Rayla said, glaring at him. "I knew you wouldn't understand."

"No, no. I just -"

"I also knew you'd overreact, which is exactly what you're doing right now," she continued, not letting him finish. "I'm _fine_, Callum. I know my own limits!"

Callum had to bite back a scathing comment that he knew he'd regret later. "Rayla, it's not that I don't think you know your own limits. You are completely capable of taking care of yourself, but -"

"No 'buts'!" Rayla snapped. "Just - Just stop there, alright? That should be a complete statement! I am an adult, and I can take care of myself. No qualifiers needed."

Callum's jaw clenched. "Okay, fine. Yes, Rayla, you _can_ take care of yourself. But half of the time you'll also readily prioritize _everything _else above your own well-being! So I don't think my concern here is as unjustified as you're making it out to be!"

"'Concern'? Really? It's kind of difficult to pass off your constant nagging about my barely-sprained finger as 'concern', so if I were you, I would stop trying. You aren't fooling anyone."

"It's not _my_ fault you've been acting super sketchy about this!" he said accusingly. "If _you _had just been honest with me from the start that you wanted to go back to practice, then maybe I wouldn't have - I wouldn't have felt like -" He faltered, his fists clenching. "Argh, I don't know! Maybe I wouldn't have felt like I couldn't _trust_ you!"

Rayla scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, right. Let's talk about trust, shall we, Mr. I'm-so-High-and-Mighty?" She unbuckled her seatbelt with her non-injured hand, jerking it so hard that the metal piece slammed against the car door. "You told - no, no, you _showed_ Sonya your finished piece for the art showcase before you even let me _know_ that it was done. Claudia, I understand. Even Soren. But Sonya? She's a lovely person, don't get me wrong, but the fact that she's someone you barely _know_? And you decided to show _her_ before _me_?" She shook her head, hurt flickering across her face once more. "Yeah. So much for me being one of the first people you showed, huh? So glad to know I can _trust_ you."

'Trust' was drenched with sharp, bitter venom, and a wave of guilt washed over Callum that dulled his anger to become a sense of vague frustration and utter helplessness. "Rayla, I'm sorry. I - I meant to tell you, but you've been so distant the past few days, and it just never came up -"

"I've been so 'distant', as you put it, because I _knew _all of this was going to end in some stupid argument! And I was right! I just - I can't deal with - ugh!" She ran her uninjured hand through her hair, which had started to fall free from her bun. "Whatever. I'm done." She shoved open the passenger door before grabbing her bag and notes from the floor of the car.

Callum didn't know what to do. Beg her to stay so they could talk it out? Shout 'Fine!' and wait for her to walk away? Try to stall until a better idea occurred to him? "Rayla…"

His indecision cost him. Hesitation flickered in Rayla's eyes as he said her name, but when only silence followed, her gaze hardened.

"Goodbye, Callum. Claudia's waiting for me."

And with that, she shut the door. Callum could only watch as she disappeared up the stairs and into her dorm, leaving him with nothing but his thoughts and a nauseating anxiety that kept turning over in his stomach.

His phone then buzzed, providing a much-needed distraction at that moment. It was a notification from Instagram - Sonya J. had accepted his follow request. Maybe that could be interpreted as a silver lining to his otherwise completely miserable past few minutes?

He and Rayla would be okay, he tried to reassure himself as he turned his phone off. It was a fight, yes. But one fight was no big deal. All couples fought. They could work things out, no problem.

Couldn't they?

xXxXxXx

**Chapter titles don't lie! Writing their argument was... ****_so_**** much fun lmao. Even happy and healthy couples can fight, especially young couples who are new to a relationship! But I'm sure they'll work things out. Probably. Hopefully. :) And shoutout to Sonya, just sitting there in the booth having to deal with these kids like "well there is clearly some tension here, kind of an unspoken argument going on. but as long as it's not interfering with our project, it's none of my business" lmfao. Thank you for reading!**


	19. callum is holding out for a himbo

**1\. Follow blairimani on Instagram! She's a Black bisexual Muslim who posts Learn O'Clock every week to discuss different topics; her insight of issues involving intersectional privilege/oppression (e.g. how intersectional feminism examines the ways that misogyny against Black women often overlaps heavily with racism, including from white women) is outstanding and I have learned so much from her. (She gets a lot of hateful DMs on Insta, unfortunately, so if y'all follow her make sure to give her some love in her comments and interact positively with her posts!)**

**2\. Because I will be starting college soon, I want to share some facts with you about college dating violence. Did you know that 43% of dating college women report abusive dating behaviors? That nearly 1 in 3 college women report having been in an abusive dating relationship? That more than 50% of college women report knowing someone who has been in an abusive dating relationship? College campuses are notoriously known for not addressing and/or poorly addressing issues of dating violence/sexual assault/etc., and these numbers show it (in fact, these numbers barely scratch the surface). If you are a victim of dating abuse in the USA, you can contact the Love is Respect/National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline; call +1 (866) 331-9474 or TTY +1 (866) 331-8453. (Information condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram.)**

**On the topic of me starting college soon: I ****_plan _****to keep updating weekly, but there is a chance my updates will be pushed back to every Sunday instead of every Saturday. If something drastic changes with my update schedule, I will definitely let you guys know. Thank you for sticking with me so far! And I'm sorry about that mean cliffhanger I left you guys on last week ;) Maybe this update will make up for it? Something ****_is_**** revealed here that people had many theories on earlier. Anyways - I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

xXxXxXx

"You learned your speaking parts already?!"

Sonya's laughter had an edge of static to it as it filtered through his phone. "Yes. Memorization has always been a skill of mine."

Callum shook his head, impressed. "Wow. I sure wish it was one of _mine_." He was terrible at memorization. If he hadn't been allowed to have cue cards for their Renaissance History presentation, he could guarantee they'd all be doomed. But Professor Dupuy was the best, and they didn't even take off many points if someone was checking their cards often during their presentation.

Sonya laughed again. They were currently video-chatting to practice for their upcoming midterm, though Sonya had temporarily turned off her camera to adjust her hijab. "No, you really don't. You want to know what being good at memorization earned me?" A beat. "Five straight years of being the lead in elementary school plays. Sheer torture. I have so much residual trauma."

Callum snickered as he finished copying his cue line onto - well, onto the millionth flashcard was what it felt like, but in reality it was only the seventh. He was a notoriously slow study when it came to writing and memorization, though certainly not for a lack of trying. "Well, I'm sorry you had to endure such suffering."

"Mhm. So am I." She turned her camera back on, revealing that she'd fixed her signature pink hijab, the scarf no longer crooked. "Do you know how Rayla is doing with her parts of the presentation? I noticed she read the messages in the group chat but didn't answer."

Callum's grip on his pen tightened at the mention of Rayla, causing him to smear blue ink across the index card. He sighed and resigned himself to rewriting his cue line on a new one. "I think she's at football practice right now," he said. An honest answer, even if it was rather evasive. He also avoided Sonya's gaze, which was easier than usual, considering all he had to do was not look at his phone. "So she probably just hasn't had a chance to respond yet."

"Ah. I see."

Silence fell between them, the only sounds being the scratch of Callum's pen on his index cards and the lofi hip hop Sonya had on in the background. Her bringing up Rayla reminded Callum that he hadn't spoken to his girlfriend outside of academic-related topics since their… disagreement a few days ago. He didn't dare call it an argument, because that would mean acknowledging they'd fought, and he currently did not feel emotionally capable of handling that.

He _was_ willing to acknowledge to himself that they needed to talk, though. Relationships demanded communication, and there was clearly an element or two of misunderstanding and stubbornness they needed to work through together.

Not that his self-awareness made it any easier to actually reach out to her. Hence why he hadn't.

"So…" Sonya said, breaking the lull in the conversation. "How are things between you and Rayla? Disregarding the project and class, of course."

Callum had never _told_ Sonya that he and Rayla were dating, but he'd picked up shortly after their first meeting that she was incredibly perceptive of what went on around her, even when she was not directly involved. In other words, nothing got past her. "Er… things are good?" Ergh. That had come off way too much like a question. "I mean - things are good. Very good. Great. Fantastic, even!"

"If you look up 'overcompensation' in the dictionary, that exact monstrosity you just tried to pass off as a normal sentence will be there," Sonya said wryly. "Don't get me wrong - there's no need to tell me anything you'd rather keep to yourself. I just want to make sure that any personal issues - personal issues which may or may not exist - will be kept outside of our midterm. Our grades depend largely on cooperation, after all."

Callum managed a weak smile. "Yeah. No worries. We can handle it."

Sonya adjusted the angle of her phone on her desk before adding, "That said, if you _want _someone to talk to, I'm available. I doubt I'll be able to provide any advice beyond the most generic kind, but I promise you that if you just need to get stuff off your chest - well, I _am _a great listener. It's how I've managed to pass all my lecture-based classes so far."

"Pff," Callum said, shaking his head and laughing. "I think your intelligence and your meticulously-organized work ethic deserve some credit for your success, too."

She shrugged, giving him a small smile. "Eh. Maybe a little." Her expression became serious again. "But for real, Callum. I know we haven't known each other long, but it's clear that whatever is behind the tension between you and Rayla is upsetting you. So if there's anything I can do, don't hesitate to ask."

Callum couldn't help but give her a grateful smile. It was nice to have someone he could consider a friend, arguably even a close friend by now, that he _also _hadn't known since he was born. "Thanks." He chuckled, finishing the rest of his line on the back of an index card before reaching for a new one. "I'm thinking about first asking Claudia for advice. She's much better with relationship stuff than I am." It was almost funny how the people most knowledgeable about romance and love were never actually _in_ a relationship, oddly enough.

Sonya frowned, an odd expression flickering across her face. "Claudia. You've mentioned her before. Long dark hair, white streak in the front?"

Callum chuckled, remembering how Viren kept insisting that she dye the streak black again with Claudia adamantly refusing to do so. "Yep, that's her."

"I think she's in my theatre class." Well, since Claudia had said the same about _Sonya_ not terribly long ago, it seemed probable. "How do you know her?"

"Oh, we grew up together. Our dads are good friends."

"Huh. Cool."

He noticed an uncharacteristic tint to Sonya's cheeks, but it disappeared seconds later, and he wondered if he'd imagined it. He was tempted to ask her how well _she_ knew Claudia, but for some reason he felt weird about broaching such a topic, despite there being nothing particularly odd about the question. He was saved from having to say anything further, however, when their video chat was interrupted by a series of texts pinging through on his phone.

"I gotta turn off my camera for a second," he apologized, grabbing his phone from where he'd propped it up against several textbooks.

"Go ahead."

Sparing her the angle of his face beneath his chin, he shut off his video before reading the messages.

_Soren: hey can you come to football practice? like now?_

_Soren: i need to talk to you_

Callum frowned. That was a… borderline ominous set of texts.

_Soren: lol that sounded threatening_

_Callum: a little_

_Soren: so you'll be there_

_Soren: great! thanks bud!_

Claudia and Soren liked to pretend they were total opposites, but in reality they had a lot in common - such as a bad habit of choosing the answer they wanted to hear on someone else's behalf. Callum did not _really_ want to go to football practice, as there was a certain person there who he still hadn't figured out to talk to about… specific things, but he _also _did not want Soren to be pissed at him for not showing. And an angry Soren was rarely the lesser of two evils.

"Okay," Callum said, placing his phone back against his textbooks before turning his camera back on. "It looks like I am being summoned to football practice for some urgent but undisclosed reason, so I have to go. But I promise I'll be completely memorized for Thursday."

Sonya nodded. Then she raised an eyebrow. "Did Rayla text you?"

Callum tried not to wince. He was pretty sure he failed. "Ah. No. Soren, actually. Claudia's older brother."

Surprise was written all over Sonya's face. "Wait. The quarterback is Claudia's brother?"

Callum couldn't help but laugh at her shocked expression. "Yeah. You didn't know that?"

"No. I don't really pay attention to anyone, so…"

Callum snorted. "Okay. We both know that's not true." Sonya liked to pretend otherwise, but she definitely had a penchant for keeping tabs on gossip going around campus, though she herself did not participate in it.

Sonya rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Don't you have a football practice to be at?"

Callum took the not-at-all-subtle hint, laughing as he said goodbye before hanging up the call. Sonya added a new, fun dynamic to their Renaissance History assignments, and he hoped they'd continue to be friends even after the midterm passed.

He only wished Rayla was there, too.

Ugh. He really needed to talk to her. Their issues of 'pride' were proving to be a great annoyance. And there was definitely also some embarrassment involved. At least for him.

Callum sighed, shoving his phone into his pocket before grabbing his car keys off his desk. He'd just have to look out for and… avoid Rayla. Or something. Anything to keep himself from having to confront the hurricane of emotions swirling in his body. Not yet.

He had a feeling this practice wouldn't be very fun.

The drive to the football field, even though he had to take a detour to get around a new construction area, was not long. Maybe he should have taken unnecessary detours just to extend it. When he arrived, he noticed that he had several new messages on his phone, despite the brief time he'd been driving.

_Soren: you can hang out with Claudia until i'm done if you want_

And, as if she'd been cued to text him after her brother, Claudia's message had been sent only a minute later.

_Claudia: I'm at the north end of the stadium! with the big ad for sprite lmao_

_Claudia: oh I'm right next to the cheerleaders. you'll see us literally the second you get on the field. they're practicing some hella cool stunts_

She followed her text with three shocked emojis. It seemed to be her current favorite. Her previous favorite had been the devil emoji, so he considered the change an improvement.

Sure enough, he could see Claudia sitting and watching a group of people toss someone high up into the air, catching them in a vaguely basket-like formation. Upon noticing him as he walked down the sidelines towards her, Claudia jumped to her feet and waved enthusiastically before gesturing to the seat next to her on the bleachers.

"So, do you attend _every_ football practice," Callum asked with an amused smile as he sat down beside his friend, "or just 99% of them?"

Claudia snickered at his question. "No, I don't usually come. Not unless it's before a big game. But Soren and I have to meet my dad after this, so I didn't really see a point in going back to my dorm for fifteen minutes before having to leave again and pick up Soren."

He supposed that was fair. Probably more environmentally-friendly, too. "Makes sense," he said before changing the subject to the main question sitting in his mind. "Anyways. Do you have any clue why Soren asked me to come here? I mean, what it is he wants to talk to me about so badly?" He kept his gaze trained on the cheerleaders. He didn't want to risk glancing at the field and seeing… Well. Someone. Though it wasn't as if KSU's cheerleaders had trouble keeping his attention - their stunts were awe-inspiring and little short of death-defying, and they executed them each time to perfection. Though a boy with indigo streaks stood in front of them, giving corrections every now and then. He seemed familiar - maybe Callum had met him before?

Claudia shrugged. "No idea. Probably something that's actually not very important, knowing him."

Huh. He hadn't considered that possibility. Still - Soren had _seemed_ pretty serious.

"But who cares? That doesn't matter right now!" Claudia continued with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Since you're here, there's something _I _wanted to ask you about."

Callum raised an eyebrow. "Uh… okay?"

She chewed her bottom lip, as if trying to figure out how to best word her question. Something akin to concern glinted in her green eyes, and Callum had a feeling he knew what his friend was about to ask. "Did something… happen between you and Rayla? Like, the other day?"

Callum internally cursed his nonexistent acting talent as the blood drained from his face and he visibly paled at her question, breaking eye contact with her to stare down at his lap. "Ah… Would you believe me if I said no?"

"I mean, I didn't believe Rayla when _she_ said no," was Claudia's pointed response. "But I didn't want to press her too much about revealing anything since I've only known her for three months. I have no qualms, however, about pestering _you _until the truth comes out. So spill. What happened?"

Callum had planned to ask Claudia for advice. Genuinely, he had. But he had _not_ planned to do it so _soon_. "Er… do we really have to talk about this right now?" He was yet to force himself to confront the incident properly, so he couldn't even imagine being able to articulate it well to Claudia. Where would he even begin? What would he _say_?

_Yeah, Rayla and I argued about her playing football while her hand was still injured and me not showing her my finished piece for the fall art showcase and now we're both too stubborn to admit that we were overreacting?_

God, no.

Claudia looked like she wanted to argue, so Callum tried to beat her to the punch.

"We can talk later. I promise. Just… not right now. Please."

His quiet words made her gaze soften. "Oh, alright." She gently nudged him with her shoulder. "Hey - you know you're my best friend, okay? Whenever you need something, I'm here. And don't you _dare_ forget it."

He laughed, a sense of warmth flooding through his chest at her reassurance. "Thanks, Claudia."

"It's what I'm here for."

His phone then buzzed, breaking the moment.

_Soren: can you meet me in the locker room? we're finishing up post-practice feedback now_

Callum responded with a quick "sure" before he realized that he had no idea where the boys' locker room was. He'd only ever been outside of the girls' locker room, when he was waiting for -

"Claudia, do you know where the boys' locker room is?" he asked, turning to face his friend and hoping he didn't look as embarrassed as he felt to say that out loud.

Claudia nodded. "Yup. Across the field, into that big hall, and take the first two lefts." She pointed when she spoke, as if drawing a miniature map.

Callum blinked. "Right," he said, because he'd _definitely_ understood her instructions. Yeah, he was notoriously bad with directions, unless they involved explicit street names. He didn't know why his brain made that distinction, but it had. Harrow told him once that his mom had the same issue, but in reverse.

"You can walk with me. I'm going there now."

Callum turned to see the indigo-haired cheerleader from before. Now that he was closer, the guy really _did_ look familiar. At least the hair, at any rate. "We've met before, haven't we?" He felt bad that he couldn't remember his name, but he figured he might as well as get his embarrassment out the way before he had to make small talk.

The boy chuckled. "Yes. Downtown, at Live After Five. I'm Lucas."

Callum nodded. "Right." He gave him an awkward smile. "Sorry. I'm the worst with remembering names."

"No worries." He gestured behind him, towards the opposite side of the field. "Shall we?"

Callum said goodbye to Claudia before following Lucas, shoving his phone into his pocket as he did so. "I forgot you were a cheerleader," he admitted, barely managing to avoid stumbling as he caught up with the senior. "How long have you been on the team again?"

"Since my sophomore year," Lucas replied, taking a sip from a bottle of blue Gatorade. "You may find this hard to believe, but there's a high demand for male cheerleaders."

Callum chuckled at his dry tone. "I mean, that _does _sound pretty unbelievable, but I guess I'll have to trust you."

"Your faith is inspiring." Lucas screwed the cap back onto his Gatorade. "So. What brings you to the stadium today? Meeting Rayla?"

Callum had been expecting a question along those lines and was thus able to maintain his composure as he answered. Or so he hoped. "Soren, actually."

Lucas nodded, not saying anything else. He didn't seem to be a man of many words.

Still, Callum felt awkward with the lack of conversation. "Uh… you said Felix convinced you to try out for cheerleading, right?" he asked, trying to remember what they'd talked about all those nights ago. "You're really good, so he must have known what he was doing when he gave you that advice."

Lucas chuckled. "Thank you. I took gymnastics in middle school and high school, so to some extent it was just a matter of remembering old skills."

Callum nodded. "You knew Felix back then, too, I take it?"

"Yeah. We grew up together. Our families were close, we were childhood best friends, all that jazz." He absentmindedly tapped the side of his Gatorade bottle. "It was actually a big deal - for me, at least - that he told me to try out for the team. I'd broken up with him a few weeks earlier, so things were still rough between us. But after he made the first move to talk to me again by telling me to try out… It helped us patch things over." He chuckled. "And now I'll never be rid of him. Though I suppose that's a good thing."

Callum blanched. "You and Felix dated?"

"Yes. For about two years, though we almost broke up after just two months because of how my family reacted when I was outed. Felix's parents, despite them being very religious Catholics, became more accepting of him as time went on after he came out. Even when they initially struggled to understand, they promised they didn't love him any less." Lucas's upper lip curled in disgust. "When I was outed to _my _parents, they threatened to disown me and even accused Felix of 'turning me gay', since he was so open about his sexuality once he started high school. Which is why I moved out of the house as soon as I was old enough." He then grimaced before offering Callum a hesitant smile - more emotion than Callum had ever seen on his face within such a short span of time. "Sorry. Didn't mean to dump my life story on you."

Callum hastily shook his head. "No, no, you're fine! It's all good." Embarrassing as it was, Callum's primary thought at Lucas's confession was that he must have _really_ seemed ridiculous - like, more than usual - to Rayla when he'd been jealous of Felix, seeing as Felix would never have been interested in Rayla romantically in the first place. He could have _sworn_ Soren had once made a reference to Felix liking girls, though.

Actually, knowing Soren, he either had no idea Felix was gay or he'd made that joke solely _because_ Felix was gay. Either seemed plausible.

"If you're okay with me asking," Callum finally managed to say, "why did you break up with him?"

Lucas shrugged. "It's… hard to explain."

"That's okay!" he hastily added. "If you aren't comfortable with answering, don't at all feel obligated or pressured to."

Lucas gave him an amused smile. "You're very much a freshman, aren't you?"

Callum didn't know what that meant, but since Lucas was a senior, he was probably right. "Er… I guess so."

Lucas chuckled before his expression became serious again. Serious, but also… maybe a little wistful? "I just knew that I wasn't the right person for Felix. Not as a romantic partner. We'll always be important people in each other's lives, but we weren't meant to be together like that." A small smile crept onto his lips. "He told me the other day that he's getting to know a cute boy in his theatre class, so we'll see how that works out for him. No matter what, I'm always in his corner."

Huh. Lucas seemed to hold some… almost bittersweet sentiment about breaking up with Felix. Though Callum _probably_ shouldn't have been trying to interpret anything besides what he was told directly. The fact that he hadn't known Felix was gay spoke wonders about his lackluster powers of deduction. "Oh." A fearful possibility suddenly dawned on Callum, his argument with Rayla slammed to the forefront of his mind. "How… How do you know if you're not meant to be with someone?"

Lucas glanced at him. "Something happen between you and Rayla?"

Okay. Was he _really_ that obvious, or did gossip just fly quickly among the football team? "Possibly."

"Hmm. Well, to answer your question - it's hard to say." He took another sip of his Gatorade. "Let me ask you something instead. Do you _want_ to work things out with Rayla?"

Yes. More than _anything_, yes. Being without her was as close to agony as he'd ever felt. "I do."

"Then that's enough reason to keep trying. Maybe you'll realize, eventually, that you aren't meant to be together. But if you don't make an effort, then worst case scenario, you could both lose the best thing in your lives: each other."

Callum hoped he'd be that profound when he was a senior. But even beyond his awe at Lucas's answer, he also knew… Lucas was right. He himself would have to make an effort if he wanted there to be at least a chance of working things out with his girlfriend. "Thanks," he finally said. "That's really good advice."

Lucas chuckled. "You're welcome. Hopefully it proves to be helpful advice, too."

Callum agreed.

This time, the silence that fell was a calm one, peaceful even despite the lack of conversation. Of course, Callum's luck eventually ran out - at the worst time, too. Ugh. Didn't it always?

As they walked down the main hallway towards the locker room, they ran into Rayla. She was talking to Felix, her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the wall on her right shoulder. When she caught sight of Callum, her eyes visibly widened. Her entire body stiffened, and she dropped her gaze to the floor.

Callum couldn't say his reaction had been much better, as he was fairly certain he'd inhaled sharply upon seeing her and was _fully_ certain that his step had faltered. If Lucas noticed, he didn't comment.

"I'll talk to you later," he heard Rayla say to Felix before she turned around and disappeared down the hall, heading in the direction opposite from which Callum had entered.

Lucas watched her go before glancing at Callum. His expression seemed to say _keep trying_, although Callum only saw it out of his peripheral vision because his overwhelming embarrassment refused to let him make eye contact with Lucas _or_ Felix.

"The locker room is through there," Lucas proceeded to say, pointing to a door on the left. "I'll see you later, presumably."

Callum managed a nod, and he tried to smile at Felix as he walked past, though he was pretty sure it came across as more of a grimace.

"Soren is waiting for you," was all Felix said before he, too, left down the hall, Lucas falling into step beside him.

If Callum hadn't been so anxious about everything that was going on, he might have laughed at just how easy it was for a single, solitary event to completely change the tone of the room. In this case, change it for the worse. But seeing as his anxiety was through the roof, laughter was completely out of the question. Crying? Weeping? Grossly sobbing? Now those seemed like greater possibilities.

Callum entered the boys' locker room, taking care not to slam the door behind him. Soren was sitting on a bench on the far side of the room, reading something on his phone as a white towel hung around his neck. Unsure of whether or not to approach him, Callum found himself lingering by the door.

"You can come sit," Soren called, not looking up from his phone. "I showered, so I shouldn't smell too bad."

Callum smiled weakly at the attempt at humor, walking across the room and taking the open seat next to his friend on the bench.

"Give me a sec. I'm trying to finish an email to Professor Opeli about taking her midterm early." Soren sighed. "Normally this wouldn't take long, but my dad keeps texting me about where I am and how much longer I'll be and all his usual crap, as if I haven't told him a _million times_ what my practice schedule is _and_ given him both paper and digital copies of it." He rolled his eyes. "If he'd just _listen _to me or pay attention to even _half_ of what I say every once in a while, both of our lives would be ten times easier."

"Oh, yeah! No - No rush," Callum hastily reassured him. He knew tensions between Soren and Viren were… well, tensions usually ran high between them. It was the main reason why Soren had chosen to live on campus rather than stay at home once he'd gotten accepted into KSU.

Soren chuckled. "Well, it kind of is a rush. Claudia and I do need to meet our dad in like, twenty minutes, so I'll try to keep this quick." He skimmed over something one last time on his phone before tapping the top of the screen and then turning the device off, dropping it into the red and gold duffel bag at his feet. "You and Rayla need to work out whatever funk you're in, okay?"

Callum blinked. "Rayla - we - what?"

"You guys clearly had some sort of argument," Soren continued, ignoring Callum's sputtered reaction. "If I was a betting man - which I normally am, but I don't bet on relationships because I have morals - I'd guess it has something to do with the fact that Rayla has been coming to practice with an injured hand and you being worried about her as a result."

For as much as people joked about Soren being a 'himbo' - a term Callum had only recently learned via the Internet - he sometimes forgot how perceptive his friend really was. "It… might have something to do with that."

"As I suspected." Soren looked pleased that his deduction had been correct, but his expression soon became serious again. "But for real. You're both really worked up over whatever fight you had, and that's not good."

Callum felt irritation spark in his stomach. Part of him knew that Soren meant well, but the rest of him was starting to get tired of being told to 'fix' everything. He was _working_ on it, okay? He'd barely come to terms with the fact that they'd had an argument! "What, did our fight screw up Rayla's concentration at practice?" he grumbled, sweeping his shoe on the floor of the locker room. It squeaked, which was far less cathartic of a release than he'd hoped for.

Soren stared at him in disbelief. "Really, dude? You think this is about football?" He shook his head, scoffing. "No, Callum. I'm worried about _both _of you. Because you're my _friends_. And that's how it _works_." He gave him a pointed, knowing look. "I can tell that _you're _upset about whatever argument you had with Rayla because last night you didn't post your usual Monday brain teaser on Instagram that I never understand but I always try to guess something stupid and funny anyway."

Callum felt a sharp pain shoot through his chest. Soren was right - he hadn't posted because he'd been… well, preoccupied with obsessing over the details of his fight with Rayla. A weird coping mechanism, maybe?

"Also, I love you, buddy, but don't flatter yourself with the idea that Rayla can't perform at her usual level because you two had a fight. If anything, she's even _better_ than usual. Her concentration and focus have been sharper and more precise these past couple days than I've ever seen from her."

Ouch. That kind of stung.

"But I don't think that's a good thing," Soren continued, evidently having noticed Callum's grimace. "She's… She internalized whatever happened. So she's playing great, sure, but she's like - like a robot, or something. I don't know. Her motions were all super methodical and she didn't smile at _all _during practice today." He paused. "Well, maybe once or twice, but you get my point." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "My point is, you're both miserable. And I don't want _either _of you to be miserable, because seeing you guys miserable makes _me _sad. I care about you guys and - and I want you to be happy, you know?" He held up his hands, as if surrendering. "Look, I can't tell you how to resolve this issue, because I don't _know_ how, but I do think a good start would be texting Rayla and telling her that you're ready to talk whenever she is."

After overcoming his initial shock at the onslaught of words coming from his friend who normally preferred to punch his feelings out rather than ever actually _speak_ to someone, Callum managed to gather his wits. He hesitated, then gave Soren a small, grateful smile. "You're right. Thanks."

He really wasn't sure what else to say. Fortunately, Soren seemed to notice, and he clapped him on the shoulder. "No problem."

They exchanged a few more casual pleasantries about upcoming midterms before Soren had to leave to go meet Claudia. It wasn't until Callum had returned to his car and started playing the _Carole and Tuesday_ soundtrack for confidence that he got out his phone and actually prepared to text Rayla.

He could do this. More importantly, he _wanted_ to do this. He _wanted_ to try.

_Callum: hey_

_Callum: can we talk?_

He was relieved to note that she answered quickly, within a minute of his messages being sent.

_Rayla: yeah. i think that's a good idea_

_Rayla: your dorm, tomorrow? in place of our homework session?_

Callum took a deep breath before responding.

_Callum: works for me_

_Rayla: see you then :)_

Callum had never been so relieved to see a smiley emoticon. And even though he was more used to standard emojis, he responded with a smiling emoticon of his own. As the message sent… he found himself smiling, too.

They could do this.

xXxXxXx

**Communication is key! I hope Callum and Rayla work things out :) Fun fact: one of my friends was like "there needs to be more drama with Lucas and Felix's relationship!" and I said "absolutely not no messy breakups in this house", so that's 99% of my editing process if y'all were wondering lmfao. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and wish me luck in college! Ya girl needs it!**


	20. and this, kids, is conflict resolution

**As you may know if you have seen US news, Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana as a Category 4 this past week, tied for the worst storm to hit the state in history. My family and I are safe, as we were east of the worst of the hurricane, only receiving tropical storm level winds/rain and several tornado warnings with only one or two touching down. But Lake Charles and much of southwest LA is absolutely devastated; both the high winds and storm surge (which was thankfully less than expected) have destroyed these areas, and to make it worse, they are battling a chemical fire in Lake Charles as well. So many people no longer have homes to return to, and there will undoubtedly be increasing covid-19 outbreaks after this because of how many were forced to evacuate before the storm. If you can, please consider donating to hurricane relief efforts for LA and TX. This has been a very hard week, especially combined with having to start college on top of the covid-19 pandemic. I hope you all are well, and I apologize that this chapter is on the shorter side. Stay safe, and thank you for reading.**

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"So."

"So."

"We… need to talk."

Callum nodded. "We do."

And then neither of them spoke. Because _that_ would mean admitting things were bad, which was a reality difficult for both of them to face. At least, it seemed so to Callum.

Dear God, this was awkward. At least they'd _acknowledged_ communication was needed to resolve their argument, but follow-up and a healthy discussion were generally required for communication to be considered effective and successful. Sitting in silence was a far cry from success.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea," Rayla suddenly said, standing up from the table and starting to grab her booksack off the back of her chair. "I should just leave before -"

"No!" Callum exclaimed, practically bolting to his feet as he threw out a hand to stop her. "No," he repeated, trying to level his tone and sound less… er, panicked and desperate. "It's - It's really important that we talk about what happened. We can't go back. It's not… easy, obviously, to just - just fix it, but… we can do this." They _had_ to fix things. He refused to let failure be an option.

Rayla still seemed hesitant, but she nodded, hanging her bag back over her chair before sitting.

Yet again, they ended up in a silent stalemate, staring awkwardly at nothing and everything while waiting for the other to speak.

Callum tried to organize his thoughts. He wanted to apologize for his overreaction when he found out she was still going to football practice despite her injury. He also wanted to explain that he'd just been worried about her and that he didn't want her to exacerbate the sprain, especially because she was preparing so intensely for the big game against Neolandia, which was why he'd been so insistent in the first place that she stop going to practice until she was healed. His reaction was rooted in concern. That didn't excuse his anger, of course, but at least it could explain it. He also needed to apologize for not respecting her decision - he didn't have to _agree_ with her going to football practice, but nonetheless it was her choice, not his, and he should have accepted that instead of snapping at her.

Still, maybe the _first _thing he needed to apologize for was not showing her his piece for the fall art showcase. The piece he was actually yet to submit because he felt so guilty about having not shown it to her when he'd _promised _he would. The guilt was eating him alive.

It seemed like a million different possibilities of where to begin his apology were flying around his head, yet all were flying too quickly for him to jump up and grab one out of the air.

And then he didn't have to.

"Callum… I'm so sorry," Rayla said, her gaze dropping to the table between them. "I had no reason to get so angry with you when you told me that I shouldn't have been going to practice because of my sprain. It was inexcusable. I was being stubborn and a jerk and I should have listened to you from the very beginning because I know you were just worried about me overextending myself. And…" She exhaled slowly. "You were right."

Callum's eyes widened, all thoughts of how to best apologize flying out of his mind. "Oh my God, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Any anger or bitterness that could have possibly still been brewing inside him beneath the guilt dissipated, replaced immediately by frantic concern.

"It's nothing serious, I promise!" she hastily reassured him, causing Callum to breathe a sigh of relief. "I just strained it a little. I should still be fine within a week if I don't use my hand too much. But." She nodded. "Like I said. You were right. I was unnecessarily risking my health and my ability to play by going to practice while still injured. To make sure I'm ready for the big game next week, I won't be practicing or training at all until my hand is completely healed. Coach Zhou already signed off on my absence."

Callum was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to respond? Thank her for the apology? For her honesty? Try not to be utterly overwhelmed by his own anxiety? Well, the last one was at least a good starting point -

"Was that too much?" Rayla asked, her eyes nervously flicking over his face. "I - I might have practiced in front of the mirror to make sure I was able to communicate what I wanted to say, which actually ended up being really embarrassing when Claudia walked in on me, but -"

"You're fine," Callum interrupted, an odd sense of warmth flickering in his chest upon seeing that his girlfriend was as nervous as he was about the entire situation. "I appreciate your apology. And - And I wanted to say that I'm sorry, too." He fiddled with the ends of his scarf in an attempt to give his hands something to do while he spoke. He'd worn the scarf to create a sense of security in preparation for their… uh, meeting? No, that sounded revoltingly formal. "I _did_ overreact when I found out you were still going to football practice. You are completely capable of making your own decisions and I had no reason to be so… offended, I guess, that you hadn't listened to me. You were not obligated to take my advice, so I shouldn't have acted like you were."

Rayla cracked a smile at his comment. "Is that because I'm a, quote, 'strong independent woman who doesn't need a man'?"

Callum chuckled. "Something like that." He stopped toying with the ends of his scarf, instead resting his hands on the table. "Still, I should have respected your choices. And not because you're a 'strong independent woman'. I mean, you _are_ strong and independent, but" - he was floundering, time to get back on track - "but I should have respected you because you're an individual. Full stop. You know yourself. And you're right that you _do_ know your own limits, way more than I ever could. I was worried about you, so I lashed out, but that doesn't excuse my… my attempt to control your choices and decisions." God, he hoped that made sense. It sounded so much better in his head.

Rayla's smile became softer. "Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that." Then she laughed. "But I wouldn't go so far as to say you were trying to _control_ me. I think you just let your worries get the best of you."

That was a relief. He'd known people in the past who'd told him about their experiences with controlling exes, and he did _not_ want to be that kind of boyfriend. "Cool. Cool." Smooth, Callum, he internally berated himself. Very smooth. "I, uh, I also wanted to apologize for not showing you my piece for the fall art showcase, even though I promised that you'd be one of the first people who'd get to see it."

Rayla's face reddened. "Callum, you don't need to apologize for that," she started to protest. "You didn't owe me a 'first look' or anything. I was being childish -"

"Maybe I don't _need_ to apologize, but it doesn't change the fact that I still feel bad for hurting your feelings," Callum insisted. "I should have been more considerate of what you wanted. And by not making the time to show you the finalized picture, I completely disregarded all of the support you gave me when I was working on the project. That was wrong of me."

"But I was the one who'd basically been trying to avoid you during that time because I didn't want you to know I was still going to football practice," Rayla countered. "So you have nothing to be sorry for on that account. _I_ prevented you from showing your artwork to me, and I hold myself responsible for that."

"I - well, no, it's more like -"

"That said… I _do _have something to be sorry for here. About your piece for the showcase, I mean." Her face was dusted with an embarrassed blush, and she broke eye contact with him to stare down at her hands resting in her lap. "I shouldn't have dragged Sonya into our fight. It was rude and immature and unfair of me and - and probably a result of petty jealousy. In short, it was completely inexcusable for me to bring Sonya into our personal argument, and I'm sorry."

Callum blinked, taken aback by her admission. He'd never considered the possibility of Rayla getting jealous, especially of Sonya, out of _all _their friends. It was… weird. But he knew _he_ was definitely in no place to judge. Not after the several weeks he'd spent stewing about Felix over nothing. "So basically," he finally said, "it sounds like we're both sorry about things we don't need to be sorry for?"

Rayla covered her mouth as a brief laugh escaped her lips. "You're so forgiving, aren't you?" She shook her head. "When you put it like that, you make our emotional openness here seem very circular."

Callum found himself laughing, too. "I'm just _saying_ that I think we both might be holding a little more guilt to our chests than we really need to be."

"_You_ don't need to hold any guilt. I was the one being stubborn and over-dramatic while also blatantly ignoring your good and perfectly logical advice."

"To be fair, I was also being stubborn by refusing to reach out and talk to you over the weekend while unfairly expecting you to listen to me about a subject I have minimal experience in." 'No experience' was probably more accurate. The closest Callum had ever come to spraining or even injuring his fingers at all was when he slept on his arm wrong and his hand had been stiff and cramped for a few hours during the following day. Which really wasn't close at all.

Rayla laughed again, giving him a relieved and amused smile. "Okay, we're not getting anywhere here." She placed her non-injured hand on top of his own, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you. For apologizing and for listening to me. And also for texting first, because I wouldn't have had the guts to do that. You're the bravest person I know."

Callum moved his hand to properly intertwine her fingers with his own. "Thank _you _for being the one to speak up first." He chuckled. "I would have spent another hour swimming" - drowning, more like - "in my thoughts before I'd mustered up the nerve to say anything."

Rayla gently tapped his nose with her other hand - using her pinky, not her injured finger. "I can't lie. That's kind of adorable."

Callum flushed. "Well, unlike you, I didn't think to practice in front of the mirror, but obviously I didn't want to get anything wrong when I was apologizing, so…" He wasn't sure where he was going with that. Then his eyes widened as he remembered something that he'd desperately wanted to apologize for and that he _had_ practiced in his head, if not a mirror. "Rayla -" His grip on her hand tightened, though Rayla made no move to pull away, instead looking at him with concern.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry I said I didn't trust you!" Callum blurted out, hoping he didn't sound too much like a panicked five-year-old. "I was just angry when I found out you'd still been going to football practice and hadn't told me about it. I - I know I said that I felt like I couldn't trust you but - but I was really just upset because…" God, this was terrifying. "Because I was worried you didn't trust _me_." He took a sharp breath, trying to calm his racing heart. Expressing vulnerability like this was the hardest thing he'd ever done. And he was a physics major. "I _do _trust you. I swear. I trust you as much as Ezran and Claudia and Soren and my dad. I don't want you to ever think otherwise. My - My mouth just got ahead of my brain."

Wow. Saying the words - even though he was still riddled with tension about having to witness his girlfriend's reaction - made it feel like a ten ton weight had been lifted off his chest.

Rayla gently ran her thumb over his knuckles. "First, I want you to take some deep breaths," she gently instructed. "This is obviously important to you, and we should talk about it, but I don't want you to have a panic attack while we do, okay?"

Callum hesitated, then nodded, closing his eyes and silently running through the breathing exercises his mother had taught him. He could feel Rayla's gaze on him as he did so, which was… oddly calming. There couldn't have been a more supportive partner than her anywhere. Not even in the rest of the universe. "Okay," he finally said, opening his eyes and giving her a tentative smile. "Sorry for freaking out."

Rayla mock-glared at him. "Oh no," she chastised. "Don't you dare apologize for that, dummy. Save those apologies for later, when you come to my dorm and steal a bag of chips or something."

Callum laughed. He and Claudia were both guilty of snacking on Rayla's personal stash of junk food. "Got it."

"Anyways." She gave him a soft smile. "We both said things we didn't mean when we fought. And honestly, I can't blame you for feeling deceived, because let's be real - I had been super evasive and vague that week. So your doubt in me was understandable."

"Maybe, but -"

She silenced him with a look. He'd have to learn how to master that ability. It seemed useful. "But. I _am_ glad to know that you trust me." She gave him a small, amused smile. "I'm sure it'll bring you great joy to hear that I trust you, too. More than anyone else I've met in Katolis. And I'm going to do _my _damn best to be completely honest with you about everything from now on, okay? Hold me to that."

Callum was indeed overjoyed to hear her words. And also relieved. _Incredibly _relieved. So much so, in fact, that he was pretty sure his body might start melting into his chair. "Me - Me too," he stammered, managing to give her a small, grateful smile. He didn't miss the relief that flickered in her eyes, as well, though she soon masked it with a calm, collected facade.

"Great." She chuckled, her shoulders relaxing. "You know, I would call this a pretty successful attempt at talking things out with one's partner. Maybe those relationship-advice articles aren't totally bogus after all."

Callum was inclined to agree. And he meant to say so aloud - really, he did. But those were not the words that left his mouth. "Can I kiss you?"

Rayla blinked, her face gradually turning a darker red by the second. "Can you - what?"

Dear God, Callum needed to work on waiting to speak until his brain had fully processed each and every word he intended to say. Maybe that would prevent him from making a fool of himself in front of people. Especially in front of his girlfriend. "I - sorry," he hastily said, his voice embarrassingly close to a squeak. "That was - that was weird of me, I shouldn't have asked so out of the blue -"

"You can," Rayla interrupted. "Kiss me, I mean."

"Ah…" He could feel blood rushing to the tips of his ears. "Really?"

She rolled her eyes, though the blush still painted on her own face ruined the typical intimidation that often came with the action. "Trust me, I wouldn't have said so if I didn't mean it."

Callum flushed. "Right, right." He hesitated, then stood up, moving around the table to cup his girlfriend's face in his hands before leaning down and pressing a tender kiss to her lips. He felt her hands move up to rest on his hips, and a little voice in the back of subconscious noted that for once he was taller than Rayla, though that information was rapidly filed away for another time as he got lost in the warmth of her lips on his. When he finally pulled away, the unabashed bliss in his girlfriend's eyes sent elation flooding through his chest, the feeling hitting him like a sledgehammer.

"What, are you just going to keep staring at me like some sap?" Rayla asked, a teasing lilt to her voice, "or are you going to get a move on and kiss me again?"

Callum was more than happy to oblige.

xXxXxXx


	21. let teens be teens

**1\. Sharing videos of police brutality, at the end of the day, does not help anyone. In fact, it is incredibly traumatizing to Black people having to see violence enacted against them over and over. Instead of sharing another video of racially-charged violence committed by police officers, consider sharing videos/messages/photos etc. from Black people about their stories, their frustrations, their ideas, etc. Don't perpetuate the cycle of trauma by sharing videos of police brutality. (Information condensed from glographics on Instagram.)**

**2\. Every year, 8-12 million metric tons of new plastic trash enters the ocean; furthermore, plastic never truly disappears, only breaking down into smaller pieces known as "microplastics". By 2050, the ocean is expected to contain more plastic than fish by weight. And it is not straws making up all the plastic in oceans - plastic water bottles are among the top five most common items found in beach cleanups around the world. It can take 450-1000 years for a plastic bottle to photodegrade (and we don't have that much time). What can we do, on a personal level? Skip single-use plastics (ex. get a reusable water bottle and make it last), advocate for local policy change, and aim for progress over perfection (if we want to get it 'perfect', then plastic pollution is only going to get worse before any tangible change happens; we need to start now). (Information condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram.)**

**Bonjour vous-autres! Happy half-way point of "No Ordinary Exchange"! I hope y'all are doing well. This chapter was a lot of fun to write; it's nice when teens are allowed to be teens and just have fun together. :) Also, to a user I think on Wattpad who wanted to see more of Nyx - ask and ye shall receive! (It's actually just a really great coincidence since I've had this chapter written for a while, but the timing of their comment was perfect lmao.) Shoutout to you - you know who you are. I hope y'all enjoy!**

xXxXxXx

"We did it!" Rayla cheered, pumping her fist triumphantly as she jumped down the stairs that led out of the history building. "I don't know about you guys, but that was my last midterm." She spun around in a gleeful circle. "Time to celebrate!"

Callum laughed at his girlfriend's antics. "It was my last midterm, too." He'd had physics earlier that day and the rest of his exams the day before. "So celebrating sounds pretty good to me."

"Ooh, we can invite Claudia and Soren!" Rayla suggested eagerly. "Didn't they both finish midterms today, too?"

"No idea," Callum answered honestly. He'd been completely preoccupied with his own exams and hadn't spared a second thought to anyone else's schedule. Except Rayla's. He then turned to Sonya. "Want to join us?" he offered, putting a hand above his eyes to block the sun while smiling at her. "It'll be fun!"

Sonya chuckled, tucking her phone into her back pocket. "I'm sure it will be. But you don't really sound like you know what you're doing to celebrate, and I prefer to have a game plan."

Callum gasped in mock-offense. "How dare you. We _totally_ know what we're doing." He glanced at his girlfriend, who snickered at his 'give me a hand here, please' expression. "Don't we, Rayla?"

"We… are going to Aimee's Creamery," Rayla said triumphantly, though not quite convincing enough where anyone would have believed she hadn't simply thought of the place on the spot. "I haven't been there in a while, and as far as I know Callum hasn't either, so it should be fun!"

Callum grinned, turning back to Sonya. "See? We have a very coherent plan. Therefore you should join us!"

They'd all come to a stop at the foot of the stairs, Rayla busily texting someone as Sonya looked at both of them in amusement.

"Right." She adjusted her backpack. "I'm tempted, I'll admit it, but I still don't think I can go. I have my last midterm tonight, and I want to continue preparing for it."

Callum wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Ugh. Evening exam." Those were the worst.

"Don't I know it."

"Well, what time is your test tonight?" he continued. "Surely you can spare one hour to get some ice cream with us. We did just ace our Renaissance History midterm - that's pretty worthy of celebration!" He'd only stumbled over a few words when he'd had to speak, and their class had actually laughed at the jokes they'd incorporated into the script and the PowerPoint. So he deemed it a _major_ success.

"It's not until seven," she admitted, "but I was hoping to get in some last-minute studying before then -"

"Studies show that cramming often exacerbates stress and provides little to no benefit in increasing one's test scores," Callum countered. "Besides, you worked hard to prepare for this midterm, and there's nothing wrong in acknowledging that by choosing to treat yourself. Also, Aimee's Creamery is super good. You'd have to be crazy to refuse."

"Or lactose intolerant," Sonya remarked, amused, but it was clear her resistance was starting to weaken. "And fine. I'll come. But _only_ for an hour. Then I'm heading home to study."

Callum couldn't stop himself from beaming at her. "Awesome."

"You know what else is awesome?" Rayla said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, tucking her phone into a side pocket on her booksack before slipping her non-injured hand into Callum's. "Claudia said she can meet us there! She finished up her last midterm about half an hour ago."

An odd expression flickered across Sonya's face, one Callum could have sworn he'd seen on her before, but it disappeared within seconds and was replaced by a calm smile. "Cool. So… how are we getting there?"

Given that it was nearly late October and the sun shining overhead in the sky helped neutralize the chill in the air, they decided to walk to the ice cream parlor. It was only about 15 minutes away by foot, and none of them were in a major rush, though they couldn't help but tease Sonya as if she was. Sonya simply rolled her eyes good-naturedly in response.

"Did Soren say if he could come?" Callum found himself asking as they stopped at a crosswalk, pressing the call button and waiting to be given the green signal.

"Nah," Rayla said, adjusting her booksack strap with her free hand, though she was careful to avoid putting pressure on her injured finger. "Claudia said he'll be in his last midterm for the next hour and a half."

"Ouch. That sucks."

Rayla snorted. "For him, maybe. It means _we_ don't have to be _burdened_ with his presence." Anyone who didn't know her might have been taken aback by her callous words, but Callum had seen Rayla and Soren taunt each other at football practice too many times to take her insult seriously.

"In other words, you're going to buy extra ice cream and bring it to him at football practice tonight?" he teased.

"Exactly." She ruffled his hair. "You know me so well."

"I'm glad to see you two have resolved whatever… issue you were having," Sonya said with an amused smile as the light turned green and notified them to cross the intersection. "I'm even more glad you managed to do so before we had to give our presentation for the midterm."

Rayla laughed. "Somehow, _somehow_, we both managed to put aside our asinine stubbornness and massive egos in order to talk things out together. It was a successful and enlightening conversation."

Callum rolled his eyes, though he was aware how obvious his smile had to be. "Speak for yourself. I've been nothing but forgiving and humble the entire time we've been together."

Rayla scoffed, jokingly elbowing him in the stomach. "Sure you have."

The conversation shifted back to Rayla and Sonya talking about the Renaissance History midterm, mostly what they felt had gone well and what they wanted to improve for future group projects. Callum was just proud he hadn't fainted in the middle of the presentation. He didn't interject much into their discussion, content to simply listen and nod or shake his head if a question required it.

Like Sonya had said, he truly _was_ relieved that he and Rayla had managed to work things out. If their argument had gone on any longer, Callum was fairly certain that he'd have lost all his hair from the stress.

Their reconciliation ended up being pretty straightforward. Rayla had agreed not to participate in football practice for a week while her hand healed, though she still attended most practices to provide 'emotional support' and to receive necessary briefings about new plays. After those details were ironed out, Callum had shown her his finished piece for the fall art showcase, and he couldn't lie that her reaction was easily the most encouraging he'd received so far. Most _excited_ reaction went to Ezran, of course, who'd gone off on a tangent both amusing and flattering about how Callum was the most talented artist in the history of Katolis, if not the world. Which Callum had greatly appreciated.

Rayla, admittedly with less exuberance, had gone through every single detail of his picture that she liked. It had been beyond cute to hear her describe certain aspects without knowing all of the technical terms. Afterwards, they'd driven to the art building together to submit it. _That_ had been an anxiety-inducing experience, but Rayla refused to let him chicken out. Which was probably why Harrow so firmly believed she was a good influence in his life.

"Have you been to Aimee's before?" Rayla asked Sonya as they arrived at the ice cream parlor. "I've only been a few times, but it's one of my favorite parts of KSU."

'A few times'? She must have come besides when they'd gone with Claudia and Soren. Not that he could blame her - Aimee's was amazing.

"I might have been once," Sonya replied, but she sounded doubtful.

"Trust us - you'll love it," Callum assured her as they entered the ice cream parlor and got in line. "You can ask for samples if you aren't sure what flavor to have."

Sonya hesitated. "Do you know if any of the ice cream is halal?"

Callum exchanged a glance with Rayla, who shrugged helplessly. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I know a lot of flavors use vanilla. But if the ice cream isn't halal, there are fruit smoothies and sorbets and other options that don't have any animal products."

Sonya hesitated again, then nodded, giving him a small smile. "Right. Thank you."

"Hey guys!"

They turned around to see that Claudia had entered the ice cream parlor, joining them in line. She had her hair pulled up into a bun - a rare instance for her, only occurring when she had a test and didn't want her hair falling into her face. Which made sense, seeing as her final midterm had been that morning.

"Honestly, you would _not_ believe how easy my bio test was," she said with a dramatic eye roll. "I studied two hours a day for a week and a half to prepare for that exam, and Professor Addison had the _nerve_ to leave off an entire unit without telling us."

Callum had to bite back a laugh. "I hope you know most people wouldn't be complaining about that."

"First of all, I studied my ass off for that test, so everyone else can suck it. Second, since when have I ever been like most people?"

She made a valid point.

"Claudia, you know Sonya, right?" Rayla said, gesturing to their friend, who gave Claudia a small, shy smile.

That was… a little odd. Callum was used to Sonya being a confident, dominant presence in the room, so her almost… flustered behavior was strange, to say the least. But maybe the midterm had just tired her out. Understandable. He knew he felt pretty drained.

"I do!" Claudia said with a cheery grin. "We have Honors Theatre 1021 together."

Sonya blushed, something Callum wasn't sure he'd ever seen her do. "Yes. Claudia is easily the most talented actress in our class."

Claudia laughed. "Please. Don't listen to her. I'm just someone who actually completes what Ms. Secrest assigns us in a timely fashion, so she's more trusting of me than some of our other… less dedicated classmates. More importantly, though, Sonya here has an amazing knack for lighting!"

It was clear that Sonya was skeptical of this claim, but before she had a chance to protest or offer a counterargument, their group arrived at the front of the line.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is Rayla Moonshadow holding hands with the little freshman she got all blushy blushy over the first time she was here?"

Ah. Callum recognized that accent, though it had been over a month since he'd last heard it. Was he traumatized or simply irritated? Possibly both. Who was to say?

"Hello, Nyx." Rayla rolled her eyes, her face noticeably having gone a distinct shade of deep pink, but all in all she didn't seem to mind the cashier's teasing. "And yes, as I told you a half million years ago, Callum and I are dating now." She smirked at her. "Don't be jealous just because Mira broke up with you."

Nyx looked affronted. "Hey - I broke up with Mira, not the other way around."

Rayla snorted. "Oh yeah. Sure you did."

"Don't make me revoke your honorary discount."

Callum blinked. His girlfriend and Nyx's dynamic was _completely_ different to the last time he'd been there and watched the two of them interact. He supposed the change was positive, even if it was… weird. So weird.

"Anyways," Rayla said pointedly, though she was grinning, "I'll be paying for myself and for my friends, so I really hope you _don't_ revoke my discount, because that might add several dollars to my total that I don't currently have."

Her declaration was immediately met with protests from the group as they all tried to insist they could pay for their own order. Rayla ignored them.

"It's my treat, whether they like it or not." She gave the group a pointed look. "And they _will_ like it."

Nyx watched the interaction unfold with amusement. "Just let me know when you're ready to order."

Rayla released Callum's hand, gesturing for everyone to move in front of her. "I say this with all the love in my heart, but I don't trust any of you to _not_ pay for yourself, so I'm going to supervise."

Everyone begrudgingly moved in front of her, Claudia sticking her tongue out as she did so while Sonya simply shook her head. Callum remained next to his girlfriend, though he was well aware she'd ensure that he ordered before her once Claudia and Sonya were done. Even he was not exempt from Rayla's demands. Or maybe _especially_ him.

"So," he said to Rayla, raising an eyebrow. "You and Nyx are friends now?" He hoped he didn't sound judgmental - he was just curious.

Rayla flushed. "Ah… yeah." She chuckled, a little awkwardly, and twisted her hair around a finger on her non-injured hand. "You remember how last time we were here together, she gave me her number and said I could call her if I ever needed a non-Katolian perspective?"

Callum nodded. "You took her up on that offer?"

Rayla blew air out of her lips. "Yup. I talk to Runaan and Ethari every night - well, mostly - but I needed someone a little closer to my age to rant with." She gave him a sheepish grin. "I met her here a lot. We'd have ice cream or smoothies or whatever after her shift ended, and just talked about anything I needed to get off my chest. She's not that bad once you get to know her."

Callum noticed the space between himself and Claudia had widened as Sonya finished her order, and he stepped forward. "You don't need to justify your friendship with her, Rayla." He offered his girlfriend a small smile. "I'm glad you found someone who's able to… relate, I guess, to what you're going through while you're here." As much as he adored her, he knew he'd never understand what it was like to stand in her shoes.

Rayla laughed. "Honestly, we talk about Xadia so much. Like, it's been brought up at least once in all of our conversations. Nyx hasn't been there since she was a kid, and she told me that she has no shame in shoving herself into my suitcase when I go back at the end of the year."

Callum snorted. "Oh, I can definitely picture her saying that."

"But yeah," Rayla continued after a pause. "She's my friend now. Although, I can't lie, sometimes I _really_ want to strangle her."

"Strangulation is just how Rayla likes to flirt with me," Nyx drawled. "She's aggressive like that. It's kind of hot."

Both Callum and Rayla turned red at her comment, prompting a snicker from Nyx.

"Just teasing. Now get a move on and order. You're holding up the line."

Callum did not fail to notice that there was absolutely no line behind them, but he stepped forward nonetheless. "Should we split a mixed berry smoothie again?" he suggested to his girlfriend, trying to subtly glance at Nyx out of the corner of his eye. "This time we'll only need one straw."

Nyx burst out laughing. "Oh, someone's gotten a bit of a bite since he was last here!" She raised an eyebrow at Rayla. "So that's one large mixed berry smoothie? With only _one_ straw?"

Rayla's face was still dusted with a faint blush - which was definitely a contender for the most adorable sight Callum had ever had the blessed fortune to witness - but she nodded, pulling her wallet out of a zip pocket on her backpack. "Yes. Never tell us we aren't doing our part to save the turtles."

Nyx snickered. "Right. Sure." She pressed several buttons on the register. "Your total is $14.39."

Rayla raised an eyebrow as she handed the woman three fives. "That discount feels more generous than usual." She gave Nyx a knowing smirk. "Oh, don't tell me. You've gotten soft for us, haven't you?"

Nyx groaned. "Yes, and I regret it every day." She handed Rayla her change, which Rayla promptly put into the tip jar. Callum also contributed several dollars - his girlfriend may have stopped him from paying for himself, but he could tip however much he wanted. Service workers were infinitely underpaid and undervalued.

They'd apparently spent so long chatting with Nyx that by the time they finished their conversation and moved down to the end of the counter, their smoothie was ready, notably with only one pink straw sticking out the top. But as they started to walk towards the table where Sonya and Claudia were waiting for them -

"Hey. You. Rayla's boyfriend."

Callum knew his face had turned crimson at that particular description, much to the amusement of Rayla.

"I'll be at the table," she said, lightly nudging his shoulder before walking away to take the seat next to Claudia.

Callum returned to the counter, giving Nyx a questioning look. "Do you need something?"

"I don't know if 'need' is the word I'd use," Nyx said, absentmindedly examining her blue holographic nails, "but I did want to say something to you, yes."

"If it is at all connected to making fun of or teasing about Rayla and I's relationship, I'd like to know now so I can get a head start in walking away."

Nyx snorted. "It's only adjacent to your relationship, I promise." Her gaze softened, though her heterochromatic eyes still seemed to glint with a permanent, indescribable mischief. Being charming seemed to be her superpower - something that probably got her out of many a nasty scrape. "I wanted to thank you."

Callum blinked. "What?"

Nyx chuckled, presumably at his confusion. He couldn't blame her for that. "When I first met up with Rayla - outside of the time she came here with you and your friends - she was…" She pursed her lips. "Not empty, per se. That's a discredit to her strength. And also calling her 'empty' would imply that you 'completed' her, which is a BS patriarchal doctrine and we both know that's not the case."

"Right! Yes. Agreed." He was fully aware that Rayla did not need him. But she did _want_ him, and that was a far more valuable sentiment in his eyes.

"I guess I'm trying to say that you make her happy," Nyx decided. "So if you ever make her _unhappy_, I will not hesitate to end your whole career."

Callum wasn't sure if Nyx was actually trying to be threatening or not, but either way the teasing twinkle in her eyes sort of ruined the effect. Still, he knew she was just expressing her care for Rayla, and the thought made him smile. "Understood. I'll be holding you to that."

Nyx laughed. "God, you two are so perfect for each other." She then made a shooing gesture towards him. "Now go join your friends. I have a badass, cool facade to maintain, and your nerdy self will kill all my vibes if you're in my presence too long."

Callum snorted. "Gee, thanks." But he didn't miss her wink at him as he returned to the table where his friends were, sliding into the last empty seat next to Sonya and across from his girlfriend.

"So what did Nyx want?" Rayla asked, pushing their smoothie across the table towards him.

"Oh, you know." Callum took a sip of the drink and shrugged. "The usual 'if you hurt Rayla, I hurt you' monologue. I've heard it a million times before." He hadn't, but that wasn't the point.

Rayla groaned. "Oh God. She told me she was going to do that in Runaan and Ethari's stead since they aren't here, but I didn't think she actually _meant_ it. I'd like to apologize for whatever atrocity may have left her mouth."

Callum laughed. "Don't worry, it wasn't that bad. She just cares about you." He took another sip of the smoothie before sliding it back across the table towards his girlfriend. He then frowned. "Harrow didn't give _you _a speech like that, did he?" His dad was pretty good about remaining only indirectly involved with his love life, unless instructed otherwise. Not to mention Harrow was - overall - a passive person and didn't like stirring up unnecessary conflict.

Rayla snorted. "No, he didn't. But you know who did?" She jutted her thumb towards Claudia, who threw up a peace sign. "This one right here."

Callum had to consciously stop his jaw from dropping. "_What_? How is right now the first I'm hearing of this?!"

Claudia rolled her eyes dramatically. "Because it wasn't a big deal, duh." She smirked, pointing at him with her spoon. "All I did was tell her that this was your first real relationship and I didn't want you to get hurt from it, intentional or not."

"She totally threatened to end my life," Rayla said between coughs, as if attempting to disguise her words.

"I did _not_!" Claudia protested. Then she paused. "Oh, wait. No, no, I totally did. Oops." She shrugged, smirking. "Look. I had good intentions, and that's all that matters. Just trying to protect my best friend."

Callum shook his head in amusement. "I really don't know whether to feel embarrassed or flattered."

"I know I'm only experiencing this secondhand," Sonya mused, "but I'm getting some vibes of both, if that's of any use to you."

Her comment earned laughter from everyone. Callum felt warmth blossom in his chest as he noticed Sonya relax for the first time that day, her shoulders visibly dropping as tension eased out of them. He was eternally grateful that she'd made the decision to work with him and Rayla for the midterm. Not because they'd aced their presentation - although that was admittedly a great bonus - but rather because she was simply so much fun to be around.

Claudia's phone started ringing, disrupting the conversation and causing Claudia to roll her eyes when she read the caller ID. "My dad. One sec." She sighed as she answered. "What's up?" A frown creased her lips as Viren spoke to her, his voice loud enough where they could all tell he was shouting but not so loud they could actually understand what he was saying. "Dad. _Dad_. He's in a midterm! We both told you our testing schedules, remember?" She paused, sighing again. "No, he can't leave. Just give him another hour. He should be done by then. Uh huh. Bye." She turned off her ringer as soon as she hung up. "My dad genuinely has the worst memory in the world. He can keep tabs on most of my stuff, but apparently stacking Soren's on top of that is too much for him."

Callm exchanged a glance across the table with Rayla. He was starting to wonder if Viren's memory was… selective. Picking and choosing what was important to him. And unfortunately, Soren seemed to get the short end of the stick most of the time.

"Oh, Callum!" Claudia exclaimed, shoving her spoon into her ice cream and startling him out of his contemplation. "Wow. _I_ almost forgot to ask you - can you pick me up from my audition tomorrow? Soren has the car for football practice and then the game afterwards plus my dad has school business all day. I'd feel bad making Ms. Secrest stay an extra hour waiting for me to leave so she can lock up the building."

"Um, I should be able to." Callum accepted the smoothie as Rayla pushed it over to him. "What time would you need me to be there?"

"Starts at noon, ends at four."

"Oh, four? Yeah, that's fine!" He took a sip of the smoothie. "I can pick you up, no problem." He might have to cut his afternoon with Harrow and Ezran short, but they were always understanding when he had to leave early.

"Thank you. I owe you my life."

"You always say that."

"It's always true!"

Which meant she owed him several lives. He wasn't sure he wanted to know how she planned to pay up on that.

"What are you auditioning for?" Sonya asked curiously. "Is it the winter production of Macbeth?"

Claudia beamed at her. "Yes, it is!" She finished off her chocolate ice cream, wiping her mouth with her napkin. "I'd absolutely _kill_ to be cast as Lady Macbeth, but as a sophomore I don't think I stand a chance for a role that big. I also really love the idea of playing one of the witches, though!"

"I could definitely see you as one of the witches," Rayla mused. "And I mean that in the best way possible. For one, you've already got the necessary vibe of subtle malice down. Second, and more importantly, you really capture that aura of dark magic most directors choose to project with the witches in their productions of Macbeth."

Ah. Right. Sometimes Callum forgot how much his girlfriend loved Shakespeare. She could probably recite half of his plays by heart.

"Also, I can just rock the dark magic _look_," Claudia pointed. "I mean, come on. Let's not forget the awesome costume I wore for Felix's party."

Rayla laughed. "No, I agree. It totally works."

"But you _would_ be an amazing Lady Macbeth, too," Sonya pointed out. There was a faint redness to her cheeks. Maybe she was cold? The ice cream parlor was always on the chilly side. "Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most powerful, dynamic, and complex female characters. I think you could really embody her strength."

"Aw," Claudia said, placing a hand on her heart. "That's so sweet, Sonya." Then she gasped. "Wait! Sonya! You should totally work tech for the show!" She turned to face Rayla and Callum. "I know I mentioned this earlier, but she really is the best at running and designing lights. There's no one more efficient or more creative than her."

"Counterpoint: I just actually listen to what Ms. Secrest says to do," Sonya protested. "Following directions isn't really a talent."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Please. Guys, tell her that she should work tech. I'm not taking no for an answer."

Rayla immediately jumped onto the bandwagon, listing the reasons Sonya needed to work tech for the show, ranging from if she was good at it then she should attempt to further her abilities all the way to surely it would be _fun_ so where was the harm in participating?

Callum was ready to play mediator if needed and say that it was ultimately Sonya's decision and no one else's, but he was distracted when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. It was a notification for an email, an email from…

KSU's art department.

He was pretty sure his heart stopped beating for a full minute.

It was the email about his submission for the fall art showcase. Acceptance or rejection.

Now his heart was beating at _twice _its normal rate. His body needed to make up its mind about how it was going to react to this email, otherwise he might wind up in cardiac arrest. Callum didn't have to be a med student to know that a person could not read an email when they were having a heart attack.

"You okay?" He looked up to see Rayla staring at him, concern evident on her features. "You got really quiet there."

Callum licked his lips, finding that his mouth had suddenly gone dry. "Uh… it's nothing."

She gave him a dubious look. "Callum. You can't fool me that easily."

Okay, fair.

He bit his bottom lip. "I may or may not have just gotten the email about my piece for the art showcase. You know. Whether they accepted it or not."

Rayla's eyes widened. "Really?! Callum, you have to open it!"

Callum grimaced. "Yeah, but like… what if it's a no? That would really put a damper on our end-of-midterms celebration."

Sonya rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. The suspense is what's truly killer, not the decision itself."

"Plus, if you open the email now, we can either cheer you up if it's a rejection or double our celebration if it's a yes!" Claudia added with a bright smile. "And it _will_ be a yes. You're the only person at this table who has any doubts about whether or not you'll be accepted."

Callum flushed. Well, she wasn't wrong. "Okay, okay. I can take a hint." He took a deep breath before signing into his phone and tapping on the email notification. His hands were shaking - if his friends noticed, they politely didn't comment. "'Dear Callum'," he began, "'we are delighted to inform you' -"

He didn't get any further before the three girls burst into cheers, earning a few confused side glances from the other people in the ice cream parlor. Not that his friends cared in the slightest.

"We _told_ you that you'd make it!" Claudia said, beaming at him. "In fact, I believe I was one of the first to ever suggest you submit some of your work. So, you're welcome."

Callum laughed. "Thank you, Claudia. I never would have been able to do it without your incessant pestering."

"Damn right."

"Not to sound too cliché, but I was also certain you'd get in the moment you showed me your finished project," Sonya said, giving him a small smile. "Congrats, Callum. This is a well-deserved accomplishment. I look forward to seeing it hung and framed in November."

Callum couldn't stop himself from turning in his seat to grin at her. "Thank you!" An idea then occurred to him. "You know, you should submit some of _your _work for the spring showcase. You have a really unique style, so I bet you'd get in, no problem."

Sonya chuckled. "Maybe. I'll consider it." She then pointed behind him. "But right now you might want to turn around. I think your girlfriend has a message of congratulations for you as well."

Callum blinked, turning in his seat. "She wha-"

He was cut off by Rayla leaning down and pressing a fierce kiss to his lips. It tasted like berry, which made… okay, that made perfect sense. Because they'd shared a mixed berry smoothie. His brain cells really did all shut down whenever he was around his girlfriend, didn't they?

"Wow," he breathed as she pulled out of the kiss. "I should enter art showcases more often."

His comment earned laughter from everyone, and he couldn't stop a wide smile from breaking out onto his face.

God, he adored his friends. _So much_. And he wouldn't have traded that moment for anything in the world.

xXxXxXx

**me, writing this chapter with four ladies + callum: haha i think i passed the bechdel test :)**

**Quick question: would you guys be interested in an outtakes fic? Basically, there's a few scenes/ideas I had that didn't make it into this fic, so I'm thinking about having a separate story where I upload them as loosely-connected oneshots rooted in this fic's storyline. Would y'all want to see that?**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Remember to wear your masks, stay six feet apart, and wash your hands! Thank you for reading! Au revoir! :)**


	22. the author loves ezran and shakespeare

**1\. White denial - aka the denial of racism, systemic inequality, police brutality, etc. White denial comes in many forms; e.g. denial of fact, denial of awareness, denial of responsibility, and denial of impact. Denial of fact is exactly as it sounds, such as when white people refuse to acknowledge that white privilege is real or that American society was built on slavery and racist ideals. Denial of awareness is related to willful ignorance, where white individuals try to claim things such as "I didn't ****_know_**** racism was still around!" despite the continued existence of groups like the KKK, Neo-Nazis, etc. Denial of responsibility is the denial that structural racism exists; there is no question that the social ladder of America is climbable almost solely for white individuals (and always at the expense of BIPOC). Lastly, denial of impact is, "But I didn't mean it like that!" Who cares if you didn't mean to be racist? You still were! If you accidentally step on someone's foot, you apologize and watch where you're walking in the future; you don't tell them, "But I didn't mean to kick you!" White people, acknowledging our privilege and calling out white denial when we see it is ****_crucial_**** in becoming actively anti-racist; we must make anti-racism a daily practice in our lives. (Information condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram.)**

**Bonjour vous-autres! Comment ça va? I hope you're all beaucoup bien! (Working on my LA French. It's quite a lengthy learning curve, lmao.) This chapter spotlights Ezran, because he deserves all the love and it's been too long since we've seen him in this fic. I hope you enjoy! :)**

xXxXxXx

Callum's phone started buzzing loudly in his pocket, the alarm reminding him that he needed to leave and pick up Claudia from her audition. "Sorry, guys," he apologized to his dad and brother, laying down his cards face-up. "That's my _cue _to _exeunt_." Even though he was the only one who understood the pun, it was still satisfying. And totally worth the weird looks given to him.

"Where are you going?" Ezran asked curiously after a beat passed, while Callum put his phone and sketchbook into his satchel. "You don't have any classes today, and you have no reason to go to the football game tonight because Rayla isn't playing."

"Ez, you know way too much about my daily life," Callum said, amused, pulling his satchel over his shoulder. "But if you want to know _that_ badly, I'm going to Seton Hall. Claudia needs me to pick her up from her audition today."

"Oh, did she try out for Macbeth?" Harrow asked, shuffling Callum's cards back into the draw pile. "I know they're starting production for that soon."

Really, why did everyone seem to know KSU's theatre schedule except for him?

Actually, as head of the college, it'd be pretty embarrassing if Harrow _didn't _know. So Callum supposed his dad was a tolerable exception. "Uh, yes? I'm pretty sure she did."

Harrow nodded. "Good for her. She's no doubt going to receive an excellent part."

"Oh my gosh, Claudia would be the _best_ Lady Macbeth!" Ezran gushed, clasping his hands together as his eyes widened and practically twinkled in excitement. "Callum, you _have_ to take me with you so I can talk to her about her audition and what part she thinks she got. Pretty please?"

No wonder Rayla and Ezran got along so well. Callum _still _didn't understand the appeal of Shakespeare, and he doubted he ever would. "I mean…" He shrugged, glancing at Harrow. "Dad, do you need Ez to stay at home for any reason?" He wasn't opposed to his brother tagging along. At least then he'd have someone to chat with while he waited for Claudia to finish.

Harrow shrugged. "I guess not. I can go help Opeli in the office while you two are gone. Just make sure to text and let me know when you're heading back, okay?"

Callum nodded, and with that decided, he and Ezran soon piled into his car and were on their way to Seton Hall. Claudia had sent him the address that morning, though he remembered where it was located from bringing Rayla there on the day they'd first met. Seton Hall was pretty far into campus. At least when he was coming from his dad's house and not his dorm.

"So, do you _actually _like Macbeth that much," Callum wryly asked his brother when he had to stop at a red light, "or are you just tagging along to get out of the house?"

Ezran made a so-so gesture with his hand. "Eh. I prefer Shakespeare's comedies, for the most part. But I genuinely do think Claudia would make a great Lady Macbeth." He then glared at his brother. "More importantly, I'm tagging along because _I _haven't seen Claudia in _ages_! You guys are always either too busy to come visit as a group or you don't think to invite me when you all go out and do stuff together!"

Callum winced. His brother made a fair point. For most of the previous week, he'd been so distracted by his argument with Rayla and patching things up with her - not to mention trying to get everything submitted for the art showcase - that he hadn't made much time to hang out with his dad and Ez, much less consider inviting Ezran to hang out with him and their mutual friends. Oh, and of course he'd been consumed by the existential dread - dread that was both normal and an essential part of the college experience, according to Claudia - that had come with his midterms. "You're right. I've been totally scatterbrained the past few weeks, and I never thought about how you might feel excluded. That was callous and shallow of me, and I'm sorry."

Ezran appeared taken aback by his sincerity and immediate admission of his inconsiderate attitude. Callum had to bite his tongue to avoid snickering. "Wow," his brother finally said. "Have you been watching TED Talks about how to incorporate healthy, positive communication into your life? Because that was impressive."

Callum laughed as the light turned green. "No, but that's not a half-bad idea." Rayla would probably tell him to take notes during the talks if he ever did so. "Okay - how does this sound?" He pulled through the intersection. "Next weekend is the big rivalry game with Neolandia. Obviously Soren and Rayla will be playing, and I know Claudia would rather die than miss that game, so why don't you come with us? We can all go out and get food or something afterwards, regardless of whether we win or lose."

Ezran tapped his chin, as if deeply considering his brother's suggestion. "The game is after Halloween, right?"

"Uh…" Callum wracked his brain, trying to remember what _today_ even was. "I think so. Halloween is this Wednesday, right? The game isn't until next Saturday."

"Hmm…" Ezran sighed dramatically. "Well, I would have preferred we all go trick-or-treating together, but that is admittedly too last minute to arrange, and I am not unreasonable. So yes, I suppose that's an acceptable compromise."

Callum snorted. "I'm delighted it meets your standards, Your Highness." He'd make sure to ask his friends if they were available for trick-or-treating, though he wouldn't mention it to Ezran yet, just in case the idea fell through and they already had plans. He was almost certain Rayla had nothing scheduled, though, mostly because he didn't think she knew what Halloween was.

Huh. He wondered if there was a Xadian equivalent to the holiday.

Ezran laughed - a sound that truly signified all was right with the world. "Hold on a second - how long have I been royalty?"

Callum shrugged. "Not a clue. Ask Rayla. She's the one who started that gag, calling me a prince and stuff." Out of the corner of his eye he could see Ezran pulling out his phone. "Wait, are you actually texting her?"

"You just told me to ask her!"

"I mean, yeah, but -"

"Message sent. It's too late to argue. Give up now."

Christ. People told Callum all the time that he _looked_ more like their mother, but he swore Ez _acted_ more like her. "Moving on," he said pointedly, before Ezran could try to drag the conversation on longer about Rayla, "how has school been lately? Anything exciting happen?"

"Uh… Well, I heard Dr. Willis had her baby."

"Oh, the art teacher?"

"Yep. Ms. Tillery said it was another boy."

"Good for her, then. I'm glad they're happy and healthy." Callum glanced at his brother. "But I was more referring to how school was going for _you_."

Ezran wrinkled his nose in disgust. "High school is awful. You don't need _me _to tell you that. So what else is there to say?"

"Come on, Ez. High school isn't _all_ bad." Callum paused at a stop sign before turning right. "Have you made any other friends? Don't get me wrong, Aanya seems really cool, but you only have one class with her, so -"

"And several extracurriculars."

"_Ez_. Seriously." Callum tapped the steering wheel. "How about this - is there anyone else you talk to regularly, even if you wouldn't call them a friend yet?"

Ezran sighed, chewing his bottom lip. "Well… There's a girl in my English class, I guess. We're partnered together for the interview narrative assignment that Ms. Tillery gives every year. Her name is Ellis, and she seems pretty cool so far. She really likes animals."

"Oh, nice." A beat. "So… Would you call her a friend? Or just an acquaintance?"

Ezran rolled his eyes. "You and dad are _exactly_ the same. Always worried about if I'm making new friends and if I'm socializing enough."

"Only because we care about you," Callum countered. His social anxiety had been at its worst in high school, though he'd thankfully been fortunate enough to have Claudia there only a grade ahead of him. He didn't want his brother to go through the same struggle he did when it came to making friends. "And besides, it's not like we have to be concerned about your grades or anything, so we can prioritize worrying about your social life."

"Because I'm a genius?"

Callum laughed. "I would have said because you're a good student and know when and how to study, but sure. That works, too." He paused, then suggested, "Okay, idea. Why don't you invite Ellis to come trick-or-treating with us on Halloween? That way you can get to know each other better outside of your narrative-whatever assignment." And as a backup in case Soren and Claudia couldn't join them.

Ezran frowned. "Huh. That's… not a bad idea." He gave his brother a small smile. "Yeah, I'll do that. Remind me later so I don't forget to ask her."

"Roger that."

They continued talking about how Ezran's classes were going for the rest of the drive to Seton Hall, and Callum silently respected his brother's wish to not discuss his social life further by refraining from asking any more questions about his friends. Really, he hadn't been able to talk so casually to Ez in - well, in _forever_. It was nice to just be able to chat without the topic being too serious or their dad - bless his heart - sitting in the corner of the room and reading the paper.

"Oh, look," Ezran said, pulling his phone out of his pocket and unbuckling as Callum backed his car into Seton Hall's parking lot. "Rayla answered me."

"Oh, really?" Callum turned off the car and pulled the key out of the ignition, unable to keep a smile off his lips. "And what did she say?"

"She says that _I'm_ the crown prince," Ezran replied, snickering. "That means I'll inherit the throne before you do."

Callum rolled his eyes. "I know what the crown prince is, Ez."

"Hey, now. No need for jealousy."

Callum scoffed. "Rude. I resent the implication that I'd ever _want_ to be crown prince." He then checked the time on his phone. _3:50_. Claudia said auditions ended at 4, meaning they were a little early, but she'd also texted him just before her audition had begun that Ms. Secrest wouldn't mind if they came inside the classroom as long as they didn't disturb anyone or cause a commotion. Both of which were things Callum was very capable of not doing, seeing as he greatly opposed bringing undue attention to himself. "Do you want to go inside and see if we can catch the end of auditions? Claudia says we're allowed to, as long as we're really quiet and don't interrupt anything."

Ezran finished typing his message - presumably to Rayla - before he stuck his phone in his pocket and nodded. "Sure! Maybe we'll get lucky and see Claudia's!"

Alas - they did not get lucky.

Callum sat down in the back of the room, with Ezran taking the seat to his left. He sent Claudia a quick text letting her know that he'd arrived and was ready to go whenever she was. He also informed her of his brother's presence.

_Claudia: I HAVEN'T SEEN EZ IN AGES OMG_

Her message was followed with several shocked emojis as well as a gif of RDJ gasping, and Callum had to bite his tongue to stop himself from laughing aloud. How very Claudia.

_Claudia: anyhoo_

_Claudia: i should be done soon!_

_Callum: cool; we're waiting for you in the back_

_Claudia: thx boo. also stop using semicolons or i'll kill you myself_

Callum snickered and put his phone away, knowing he didn't really need to answer her. He was about to turn in his seat to ask Ezran a question, but was distracted by someone calling his name.

"Callum? Is that you?"

Callum turned around to see a familiar curly-haired boy standing to his right. "Hey, Felix," he said, surprised. Felix slid into the open seat beside him. "What are you doing here?" He raised an eyebrow. "I mean, don't you have a game in like, two hours?"

Felix gave him a sheepish grin. "Because we're letting second- and third-string players onto the field since the team we're up against is _that _bad? Yeah, I do have a game."

Callum blanched. "Uh - I - No, that's not what I meant! I didn't mean to -"

Felix chuckled, lightly punching him in the shoulder. "I know, dude. I'm just messing with you." He gestured vaguely to the front of the room, where a redheaded girl was reciting a monologue Callum was pretty sure he recognized to be from Hamlet. "I'm here to pick a friend up," he explained. "We share a theatre elective. He's auditioning for Macbeth, Banquo, and Duncan today, but he really wanted to come to the game afterwards, too, since I'll be playing basically the entire time, so Couch Zhou gave me permission to leave and get him." He pulled out his phone to check the time. Maybe Callum was imagining things, but Felix's face seemed flushed with a soft scarlet. "That said, if he doesn't get a move on, I will not hesitate to abandon his ass here and make him walk to the stadium."

Callum laughed. "Understandable." Rayla and Claudia had a similar mentality of _time is an illusion except when it comes to the time of a football game_.

"Anyways!" Felix leaned forward to look at Ezran. "I don't think I know you?" He offered him his hand to shake. "My name's Felix. I'm a friend of Callum's. I met him - and Rayla, actually - through Soren."

Ezran shook Felix's hand. "Yeah, they've mentioned you before!" He smiled at him. "I'm Ezran. Callum is my brother. And you probably know my dad, Professor Harrow."

Felix laughed. "I literally thought you kind of looked like Professor Harrow, but I didn't want to say anything in case I was completely off the mark." He returned Ezran's smile. "It's very nice to meet you, Ezran."

"You, too!"

They talked a little longer about the game that evening as well as about Macbeth - Callum really needed Rayla to give him a crash course on Shakespeare, which he knew she would not mind doing - before Felix was interrupted mid-sentence by his phone blasting Panic! At The Disco.

"Yes, my ringtone is 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies'," Felix said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I will not be accepting criticism of that at this time or ever." He then winked at them before stepping away to answer the call.

"You seem to get along _way_ better with Felix now," Ezran commented, smirking. "That's a good thing, right?"

"Yes…" Callum gave his brother a suspicious look. "You know, I don't like how much inside knowledge you seem to have about Rayla and I's relationship."

"It's not like you were _subtle_ about your jealousy, Callum. Also, I know everything about anything and anyone. So you shouldn't be surprised."

Callum rolled his eyes at his brother's sass but didn't respond, instead focusing on sending a text to Claudia.

_Callum: you almost done?_

_Claudia: oui! grabbing my bag now and headed your way_

She followed her text with a thumbs up, and he responded in turn with one of his own. Emoji usage must have been contagious, because he swore that the more he texted Claudia, the more he used emojis, too.

"Sorry, guys," Felix said apologetically as he returned to where they were sitting. "My idiot friend went to my car even though I _told_ him I'd be waiting inside." Despite the mock-frustration to Felix's tone, there was a familiar fondness in his eyes. Callum could have sworn he'd seen that gentle expression somewhere before. "Which means that regrettably, I must now take my leave."

They said goodbye to Felix before he left, and as soon as he'd walked out the classroom Claudia appeared next to them.

"Ezran!" she practically shouted, dragging him out of his seat to crush him in a hug. "It's been too long! Have you been eating well? Getting enough sleep? Drinking enough water? Is Callum being a good older brother? If not, you know I'll beat him up for you."

"Wow," Callum said, affronted. "First of all, I'm a _great_ older brother, so I find it very rude of you to suggest I'd only be 'good'. And second, I am highly opposed to being beaten up in _any _fashion, thank you very much."

Ezran laughed at their banter before pulling out of Claudia's hug. "As tempted as I am to take you up on that offer, I am _way_ more curious to hear about your audition. How did it go? Do you think you'll get Lady Macbeth?"

"Oh, I _wish_," Claudia said dramatically as they began making their way out of the building back to Callum's car. "There was this girl - Hazel, I think her name was? - who was literally the most incredible Shakespearean actress I've ever seen. She has such a clear, nuanced understanding of the language that if she _doesn't_ get the part, then I will drop out of the show because that means there's some blatant favoritism going on."

"Do you think you got given a good role, at least?" Callum asked as he unlocked his car. He also stuck his tongue out at Claudia and Ezran as they both climbed into the backseat, leaving him alone in the front.

"Well, I feel pretty confident that I was at least cast," Claudia said after a pause, pulling down her seatbelt to buckle in. "But whether I'll actually have lines or just be in ensemble, I have no idea."

Callum watched in the rearview mirror to make sure Ezran had put on his seatbelt before turning the key in the ignition to start the car. "I feel like you'll have lines. Our dad seemed sure that you'd get a part."

"Aw, that's so nice of him!" Claudia cooed. "Not to sound too arrogant, but I really hope he's right."

As they drove away from Seton Hall, Ezran continued to pepper Claudia with questions about her audition experience, all of which she was happy to answer, especially when it came to gushing about the Hazel girl and a boy who'd apparently had an amazing audition for Macbeth - maybe that was Felix's friend?

Callum kept his focus on the road during the drive, though he allowed himself to glance back at them every now and then as they talked. He loved his new friends, it was true - probably Rayla more than most - but sometimes there was nothing quite like the nostalgia of being around people he'd known since childhood.

(And he knew Claudia would tease Soren endlessly after his game for not being a part of it.)

xXxXxXx

**The funniest thing about this chapter is that I've never listened to p!atd, lmao. Next week is actually the Halloween chapter, and tbh I wish my update schedule had lined up so the fic's storyline matched the months/dates irl (it's only off by one month!). Ah, well - pas grand' chose! I hope you enjoyed this (shorter) update, and thank you for reading! Au revoir!**


	23. halloween on the scene

**1\. "There is a difference between appreciation and appropriation. Appreciation is when someone seeks to understand and learn about another culture in an effort to broaden their perspective and connect with others cross-culturally. Appropriation on the other hand, is simply taking one aspect of a culture that is not your own and using it for your own personal interest. Appropriation could mean of purchasing a piece of jewelry or clothing that may have important cultural significance to that culture, but simply using it as a fashion statement... Regardless, taking a part of another culture without understanding what it truly means can be harmful not only to those whose culture you are using but also to those with whom you share it." (Quoted from greenheart dot org.)**

**Bonjour vous-autres! Comment ça va? Moi, comme ci comme ça. J'ai des midterms dans une semaine, en septembre et octobre. Blegh.**

**Okay I'll stop lmao. (Tbh though it's good practice for me!) Hi everybody, hope you're doing well! This chapter is like a third laying groundwork for upcoming arcs, a third Rayllum fluff, and a third Halloween shenanigans. A healthy mixture, in my opinion. I hope you enjoy!**

xXxXxXx

Explaining Halloween to Rayla had been an… amusing conversation, as apparently there was nothing at all like it in Xadia. Callum almost wished they'd had that particular conversation in person, mostly because he would have killed to see her expressions. Claudia had informed him later that they'd been hysterical and she regretted not taking pictures.

After learning the basics of the holiday, Rayla had been intrigued, and had expressed interest to do some research of her own to see how it had evolved out of the Day of the Dead. Really, it was no surprise - to him, at least - that she was considering adding history as a second minor. He was thinking about doing the same, though he was more interested in Xadian history himself.

Rayla had been understandably disgusted to discover, however, that some 'costumes' people chose to wear on Halloween were utterly disrespectful. She'd called him and ranted for a good half hour about a 'sexy Skywing costume' she'd stumbled upon on Amazon and how Xadian culture was not a fad and shouldn't be treated that way. He let her talk as long as she needed, because he knew she needed to get it off her chest and was also aware that it wasn't his subject to have an opinion on, per se.

That said, he was pretty pissed, too. It was revolting how xenophobic Katolis could be while still fetishizing Xadian culture.

Once she'd gotten her anger out, she informed him that the original reason she'd called was because Claudia had invited them to go to a Halloween party with her, and she wanted to know if he planned to go before she made her own decision.

He definitely did _not_ intend on going, though he didn't tell that to his girlfriend with quite so much vehemence. Callum explained that it was tradition for him and Ezran to go trick-or-treating for an hour or two and then spend the rest of the night watching cheesy horror movies; sometimes Claudia and Soren joined them for the second part.

He didn't mention that he was often uncomfortable attending big parties, not that he really felt he needed to. Especially because Rayla asked so softly if she could participate in his and Ez's tradition, as long as she wasn't intruding.

Was that love? It had to be.

Not to mention if she came with them, then he could hopefully keep her mind off the upcoming game against Neolandia, as that currently had her stressed to no end.

Callum asked Ezran's permission, too, for formality's sake if nothing else, to which his younger brother eagerly agreed. Claudia was incredibly chill about Rayla not coming to the party with her; apparently Soren would be going, so there'd be at least one person she knew there and could follow around like a lost duckling if needed.

That left one dilemma for him and Rayla - costumes.

Callum had been perfectly fine with wearing his costume from Felix's party earlier that year, but when his girlfriend had admitted - while _blushing_ \- that Claudia suggested they do a couple's costume and she was not necessarily opposed to the idea… How could he say no?

Funnily enough, it had been Ezran, not Claudia, who took the reins in helping them choose characters to dress as and putting together the necessary costume pieces, with the help of numerous trips to thrift stores. Or maybe it wasn't really that odd, considering that Ezran had been texting with Claudia almost non-stop the entire time they were shopping.

In other words, that was why Ezran was the one currently looking their costumes over, Callum dressed as Sokka and Rayla as Yue, both characters from Ezran's second favorite show.

"You guys…" Ezran began, "look _so_ awesome!" He beamed at them, understandably proud of his handiwork. "It's amazing what you can put together without paying for exact replicas of costumes."

"I dunno," Rayla mused, turning to smirk at her boyfriend. "I think Callum looks kind of dumb with his little ponytail. He should've gone all out and shaved the sides of his head."

Callum rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out at her. "You're one to talk." He patted the twisted knot on top of her head. "I think your hair's a little short for your character. _You_ should've gone all out and gotten extensions."

Rayla laughed. "Okay, okay. We're both lazy cheapskates." She linked her arm through his. "Still… We make a pretty awesome power couple."

Callum couldn't help but grin. "That we do."

Ezran cleared his throat, giving the two a pointed look.

Callum and Rayla exchanged a knowing glance before turning back to Ezran and saying, "Thank you" in perfect unison.

Ezran nodded in contentment. "You're very welcome. Feel free to come to me for all your costuming needs in the future."

Callum snorted. "That sounds like a really bad television promo for a local costume shop."

Ezran promptly stuck his tongue out at him. "Ha ha. Someone's a comedian." His expression then transformed into his signature bambi eyes. "Now will you please say the line, Callum? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

Callum sighed. "Ez, I'm telling you, I don't sound -"

"You sound _exactly _like him, Callum! Come on, say the line? Pretty please with _two _cherries on top?"

Ugh. How was Callum supposed to refuse such a desperate plea? "Fine." He pulled the plastic boomerang off his back, holding it up mock-triumphantly. "Boomerang! You _do _always come back!"

Ezran burst out into delighted laughter. "Okay, okay. Now the other one."

Callum grimaced. He was considerably less fond of the other one. "Do I have to?"

"Aw, come on, Callum," Rayla teased, elbowing him in the side. "Don't break poor Ez's heart."

He hated it when they ganged up on him. Which happened too often. "Fine. Only one more." He returned the boomerang onto his back, then extended his arm as if he was holding a small bowl. "Drink cactus juice! It'll quench ya! Nothing's quenchier - it's the quenchiest!" He hadn't known 'quench' could be used so many times in a single sentence, and he wished that knowledge had never been graced upon him.

Both Rayla and Ezran laughed, though Rayla's laughter was more of a snicker and Ezran's was an ecstatic giggle. "_Perfect_," Ezran said, beaming at him. He then glanced at the clock on the wall of Callum's bedroom. "Okay. It's 6:45, and Ellis told me she'd arrive at seven. Since that's also when trick-or-treating officially starts, we'll be able to leave right away once she gets here."

"Er, can you remind me who Ellis is again?" Rayla asked. "The girl at your party was Aanya, right? Ellis is a different person?"

Ezran laughed. "Yes, the girl at my party was Aanya. Ellis is someone else. We have English together. As far as _I _know, you've never met her before."

Rayla gave him a thumbs up. "Got it."

Ezran then left Callum's bedroom, presumably to go wait for Ellis by the door so he could let her in when she arrived.

"So just to be clear," Rayla said, turning to face her boyfriend, "we're basically chaperoning for Ezran and his friend?"

Callum nodded, moving to sit cross-legged on his bed, pleased to note that his girlfriend immediately sat next to him. "Yep. Although if I'm honest, our neighbors around here will give candy to _anyone_ dressed in costume, but as a matter of principle we don't directly ask for any."

"But if they offer, I'm assuming you don't refuse?"

"Exactly! See, you're catching on fast." He winked at her. "But even if we don't end up getting any candy ourselves, Ezran is usually more than willing to share his profits." He paused. "Well, within reason."

Rayla laughed. "How very generous of him." She ran her hand over Callum's comforter. "So this is your childhood bedroom, huh?" She glanced around them. "I was hoping there'd be corny movie posters or something, so I could make fun of you and take pictures as blackmail."

It was true the walls were a little bare, but that was mostly because he'd never been a poster guy. "I took most of my stuff to my dorm, since I live there five days a week. Also" - he shrugged - "I'm a very boring person. You can make fun of me for that, if you'd like." He was considering adding a bulletin board to the walls, though, to pin up his old sketches and the polaroids of his friends that Soren sometimes took.

Rayla nudged his shoulder with hers. "You're not _boring_. Don't sell your weirdness short. And I have no doubt that you had some strange hobbies as a kid, anyways."

Callum grimaced. 'Strange hobbies' may not have been how he'd describe it, but… "Okay, this isn't specific to just me, but when we were little, Soren and Claudia always wanted to play 'rescue the princess', right? So -"

"- so you were the princess, weren't you?" Rayla interrupted, eyes widening. "Soren would obviously want to be the knight and Claudia probably liked being the bad guy, which means they made you be the princess, didn't they?"

Callum stared at her for a moment. "You know us way too well," he finally said, prompting Rayla to burst out laughing.

"Oh, I would have _killed_ to see you in a poofy little dress and a tiara," she managed to get out, wiping tears from her eyes. "That's so good. That's so good!"

"For your information, I totally rocked the princess look. I could probably still rock it if it weren't for the heteronormative, patriarchal society we live in that is so restrictive of gender presentation," Callum pointed out, unable to keep a grin off his face. "And maybe one day I'll even show you a picture."

Rayla gasped. "You have _pictures_?!"

"Obviously. My dad documented everything we did when Ez and I were little."

"Callum, I am _begging _you to show them to me. Bid me do anything. I'll even kill Claudio."

"What?"

"Shakespeare reference. Don't worry about it. But seriously - I'll do whatever you want."

Callum paused before raising an eyebrow. "_Whatever_ I want?"

"Within reason, you big dork. But yes." She clasped her hands together, giving him an imploring look. "_Please_."

Callum stroked his chin, as if in deep thought about her request. God, he loved being able to tease her so easily. "How about this?" He tapped her nose. "I will show you an _entire_ scrapbook from my childhood - _after_ you win the National Championship."

The familiar competitive spark that Callum adored danced in Rayla's eyes. "High stakes, big reward. You are truly a man after my own heart." She offered him her hand. "Shake on it?"

He could think of other - _better _\- ways to seal the deal, but he obliged.

"I didn't think anything would be able to sweeten the taste of winning the championship," Rayla mused, "but that just might do it."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Callum warned, but he knew his tone was far too lighthearted for it to be effective. "Anyways. What about you? Any embarrassing childhood hobbies I should know about?"

Rayla scoffed, dramatically tossing one of her braids over her shoulder. "Me? Of course not. I'm amazing at everything I do, so nothing I've ever done could be embarrassing."

"Babe. I know that's not true. I saw the concept sketch you originally drew for your geology class, as well as the diagram you ended up tracing to turn in."

Rayla gasped. "How dare you insinuate such a heinous thing." Then she grinned. "But let's just say it's lucky you have more than enough artistic talent to count for the both of us." She slipped her hand into his before resting her head on his shoulder, though she was careful not to mess up her carefully-pinned hair. "Embarrassing childhood hobbies, hmm?" She snapped her fingers with her free hand, the buddy tape having been removed a day earlier. "Got one. When I was little, Runaan really wanted me to learn archery, like him. He had Ethari make a toy bow and arrow and everything."

Callum chuckled. "I feel like there's a 'but' coming."

Rayla snickered. "And you would be right. He tried so hard to teach me, but I was just _awful_. He eventually gave up when I almost broke a silver flower Ethari had made for him as an anniversary gift. On the bright side, my parents suggested afterwards he try teaching me hand-to-hand combat, which I had _much _more success in, so it all worked out in the end."

The thought of a young Rayla guiltily handing over a bow and arrow made Callum smile. "The best stories are the ones with happy endings."

"Very true." There was a pause, then Rayla lifted her head and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "You know… I've been thinking."

"Mm. A dangerous pastime."

Rayla laughed. "Shush. I'm trying to be serious here." She fiddled with the edge of her violet sleeve. "I… I want to introduce you to Runaan and Ethari."

Callum blinked. He hadn't known what to expect from her, but _that _hadn't been in it. That hadn't even been on the _table_. "Really? You're… You're sure?"

Rayla nodded. "They know I'm dating someone. I mean, I told them a few days ago. And while I never said that you were from Katolis, it'd be nearly impossible for me to meet someone who's Xadian while I'm not _in_ Xadia, so they've probably pieced it together already." She grimaced. "That's probably why they aren't exactly keen on talking about it."

Callum felt overwhelmed by her words, which meant he couldn't even begin to imagine how Rayla had to feel. "If you're ready to tell them, then so am I," he said, taking her other hand in his. Even if he was petrified that Runaan and Ethari would hate him. "I know how important this is to you. Just let me know the time and place, and I'll be there."

"I probably want to wait until after the big game this weekend," she admitted. "I need to be able to completely focus on that, since the rivalry with Neolandia is so important to the team."

"Of course," Callum said, nodding. "We can do it next week, the week after, a month from now if that's what you need. It's your decision, and I'll support you and be by your side no matter what."

For a moment, Rayla said nothing. Then she released his hands and pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered into his shoulder. "I love you."

Callum could feel his face heating up at her words. And then time seemed to slow around him, because… because that was the first time she'd told him _I love you_, wasn't it?

It felt… completely surreal. He was pretty sure he was going to explode from the - the sheer _bliss_ that was swelling inside his chest and flooding through his entire body. If _that _wasn't love, then he didn't know what was.

Realizing he needed to do or say something in response before too much silence could pass, Callum returned the hug, squeezing her as tightly as possible, as if that action could somehow transfer the warmth dancing inside him into her. "I love you, too."

And he did. He really did.

Rayla seemed to relax in his arms, as if she'd been afraid that his reaction was going to be something very different. "Good. It'd be embarrassing for me if you didn't."

Callum laughed. "Come on. How could I not love you? Rayla, you're the most amazing person I've ever met."

Rayla pulled out of the hug, mischief glinting in her eyes as a smirk inched onto her lips. "Is that so? Keep talking like that and I might just kiss you."

Callum raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He tilted his head. "Well, you _are_ amazing. You're also brilliant, funny, and beautiful."

Rayla leaned closer. "Uh huh. What else?"

"You're the best athlete at KSU, even if Soren might argue otherwise. You're also the best writer I know, and I'd have failed my English midterm without you."

"Mhm… Yeah, that'll do." And when she pressed her lips against his, Callum felt like he was flying through the sky and would never fall back down.

The blissful moment was short-lived, however, as Ezran soon walked into the room and rolled his eyes upon seeing them.

"Come on, you guys," he said, startling them apart and causing them both to blush red as rubies while they pointedly avoided eye contact with him. "Kissing isn't a part of Halloween. Hurry up and come into the living room so you can meet Ellis and we can get going! Trick-or-treating waits for no one!" And with that, he promptly disappeared out the door.

Callum glanced at his girlfriend. "To be continued?"

Rayla nodded. "Absolutely."

They then followed Ezran into the main room, where he was standing next to a petite girl with long, braided black hair who was dressed as Wonder Woman.

"Callum, Rayla," Ezran said, gesturing to them, "this is Ellis. I have English with her."

Ellis beamed at them. "It's so nice to meet you guys! Ezran talks about you _all_ the time."

Callum smirked at his brother. "Oh he does, does he?"

Ezran rolled his eyes, though his face had a distinct flush to it. "I have no choice but to talk about you. Our interview narrative assignment is about family."

"Aw, you consider me to be your family?" Rayla said, placing her hand over her heart. "Ez, that is so sweet."

Ezran laughed. "Of course I do. Since you and Callum are dating, that makes you basically my sister-in-law. And for the record, you're a much cooler sibling than Callum."

"I mean, that tracks."

Callum rolled his eyes in response.

"By the way, I _love_ your costumes!" Ellis added eagerly. "Avatar is one of my favorite shows! I actually own it on DVD."

"Thank you," Callum and Rayla said, again in unison, much to the amusement of the younger two.

"I helped them put their costumes together," Ezran said proudly, puffing out his chest. "And I'm _super_ happy with how they turned out."

"You should be!" Ellisa agreed. "Remind me to give you a call next year to help me make _my_ costume."

Ezran laughed. "I'll pencil it into my schedule."

Callum couldn't help but smile fondly as his brother talked with Ellis. It wasn't as if either of them had lonely childhoods or anything, but it was still nice to see Ezran making friends with people his age. It was also probably good for his emotional and social and whatever-al development, too.

"Anyways," Ezran said, handing Ellis a cloth bag decorated with black cats and keeping the one with cartoon jack-o-lanterns all over it for himself, "are we ready to head out?"

Callum made sure he had a house key and his phone in his pocket, and upon confirming he did, they were off.

Their neighborhood wasn't a particularly large one, which meant he and Ezran knew almost everyone who lived there by name. It also meant they knew which houses gave out the most candy as well as which houses to avoid entirely.

"Are you _sure_ this place isn't abandoned?" Rayla asked skeptically as they walked down a driveway leading to a small house without any lights on.

Callum laughed. "Yes, I promise it's not abandoned." He stopped at the single step, with Rayla doing the same as Ezran reached up to knock on the door. "Ms. Latora is very close to totally blind, so she doesn't usually have her lights on unless she has guests over. She doesn't really need them, after all."

"Huh," Rayla mused. "Never thought of it like that."

The door opened, revealing a tall, slender woman with curly black hair shaved close to her head.

"Trick or treat!" Ezran and Ellis said together.

Ms. Latora smiled. "Let's see. I recognize Ezran, and… a friend of Ezran's?"

Ezran laughed. "Yes ma'am. I'm with my friend Ellis! Also, she's left-handed."

Ms. Latora chuckled. "Thank you, Ezran." She extended her left hand, which Ellis shook with a bright grin. "It's lovely to meet you, my dear."

"It's nice to meet you, too!"

Ms. Latora released Ellis's hand before smiling at all of them. "Now, if Ezran is here, Callum must be here as well. Am I correct?"

Callum laughed. "Always are, Ms. Latora. But I also have a friend with me. Someone you haven't met before." He gently nudged Rayla forward. "Ms. Latora, meet Rayla. My girlfriend."

Rayla shook the hand offered to her. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Latora. And happy Halloween!"

"Pleased to meet you two, honey." Ms. Latora smiled at her before releasing her hand. "You've got yourself a good one with Callum, you know."

They both blushed at her comment, and even though the woman was blind, Callum had a feeling she didn't need to see to know exactly what their reactions had been.

"Enough teasing," she continued. "As Ms. Rayla mentioned, it is indeed a happy Halloween!" She turned to her left to grab a plastic bowl filled to the brim with different types of candy and chocolate. "Feel free to take as many as you want. Including you two." She gestured to Callum and Rayla. "No one is too old for candy!"

Callum glanced at Rayla, who proceeded to mouth _she's the best_ while Ezran and Ellis eagerly helped themselves to several pieces. Callum took only one, as he did every year, and Rayla followed suit.

They said their goodbyes before returning back to the sidewalk along the street, heading down to the next house. They skipped one with a yard decorated head to toe with Halloween props, earning a quizzical look from Rayla.

"Why not there?" she asked curiously. "They seemed to have plenty of Halloween spirit."

Callum opened his mouth to answer, but Ezran beat him to it.

"The people who live there are racist as hell," his brother said bluntly, his expression unusually empty.

Rayla almost choked on her Kit Kat, and Callum had to lift his hand over his mouth to cover his amused smile at her reaction, even if all things considered it probably wasn't funny. "Got it. Let's keep going."

Callum finished off his gummy worms, sticking the plastic wrapper into his pocket before taking Rayla's free hand into his own. "They actually harassed our parents a lot when we were little," he said, slowing down his pace to be just out of earshot of Ezran and Ellis. "I don't remember much, and I'm sure Ezran doesn't either since he was even younger than me, but apparently after we moved here they followed our parents around and mailed awful letters to the house. You know, complaining about 'contamination of the gene pool' and stupid stuff like that. Basic anti-interracial rhetoric, but they went ridiculously far with their bigotry and didn't stop until my mom threatened to get a restraining order."

Rayla winced at the story, gently squeezing his hand. "I'm so sorry that happened to you guys. They sound like human garbage."

Callum shrugged. "It could have been worse. And at least they don't bother us anymore. I'm pretty sure no one else in the neighborhood talks to them after my dad… 'went public', I guess, about what they did."

Rayla nodded. "Is that why their decorations are so extra? Trying to win back some semblance of status?"

"That's our best guess. I honestly don't know why they haven't moved out already." Or maybe he did. Regardless, it wasn't something he wanted to think about on a night that was supposed to be fun. "Hey," he said, changing the subject, "you know, I never did thank you for choosing to come trick-or-treating with me instead of going to that party."

"You don't need to thank me," Rayla scoffed. "I'm not exactly a huge party girl. Not unless I know exactly who is hosting and organizing it."

Callum wasn't huge on parties at _all_, but that was a fair assessment. "Still." He gave her a soft smile. "I'm grateful."

Rayla chuckled, and she winked at him. "Don't tell Claudia, but when it comes down to it, I choose you. Always."

Callum could feel himself blushing at the sentiment. "'I choose you'," he repeated. "Wow. I love being a pokémon."

Rayla burst out laughing, and she had to wipe tears from her eyes. "No. Stop. I -" She was cut off by her own snickering. "You are so amazing, sad prince."

Well, he did try. And so he said that much, too, earning himself an amused head shake from his girlfriend.

They continued walking around the neighborhood for close to an hour and a half, with Ezran and Ellis racking up quite a stash of candy each. Ellis said at one point that she might die if Ezran didn't invite her back next Halloween because _her _neighbors were nowhere near so generous with what they handed out. Callum and Rayla also continued to receive compliments on their costumes, which made Callum think that he probably needed to give Avatar a rewatch, since the first time he'd seen it he'd only halfway been paying attention. They ran into one little girl dressed as Mai, and she actually asked for a picture with them. Her costume was _fantastic_, so obviously they couldn't refuse.

It was when they were turning onto their last street for the night that they were greeted by the dull pounding of music from a house about halfway down.

Callum glanced at Ezran. "I didn't think the Johnsons were throwing their Halloween party this year."

Ezran shrugged. "Maybe something changed?"

"The Johnson family used to throw a big party on Halloween every year," Callum explained to Rayla and Ellis as they began walking down the street to Mx. Irene's house - the only stop they made on that particular road. "Then Mr. Johnson ran into some financial difficulties, so we didn't think they were going to have a party for another year or two at least."

"I didn't think they'd throw a party _ever_ again," Ezran added. "But good for them if they've managed to fix things up!"

Callum winced as they got closer to the house, the music already starting to seep into his skull. He resisted the urge to plug his ears, as that would mean he'd have to let go of Rayla's hand.

"Wait a second…" Rayla slowed to a stop - regretfully - at the end of the Johnsons' driveway. "Is that… Claudia's car?"

Callum blinked, then squinted as he looked where she was pointing. "Uh…" He frowned. "Yeah, I think it is."

Rayla laughed, rolling her eyes. "Wow. I can't believe she forgot to mention that the party she was going to was in _your _neighborhood." She released his hand and pulled her phone out of her pocket, presumably to text Claudia.

It was technically Claudia and Soren's neighborhood, too, at least in that Viren lived there, but they really only stayed with their dad during breaks.

Callum noticed Ezran and Ellis pulling ahead, and he quickly jogged to catch up with them. "Hey," he called, stopping as they turned around to face him. "Rayla and I need to take care of something real quick, so when you get to Mx. Irene's house, ask xem if you can wait there for us, okay?" Mx. Irene was one of the younger people in their neighborhood, having just graduated from KSU xemself three years ago. Their dad had asked xem to look in a few times on Ezran when Callum himself hadn't been available, so that made xem trustworthy in Callum's book.

Ezran nodded. "Okay!" He turned to face Ellis. "Just so you know, Mx. Irene uses xe/xem pronouns."

Ellis gave him a thumbs up. "Cool!" She had the most can-do attitude of anyone Callum had ever met. Second maybe to Soren.

"Oh, Ez!" he then called before they'd gotten too far away. "You have your phone, right?"

"Yep!" Ezran replied, patting his pocket. "Text me when you come to get us!"

Callum smiled, although he wasn't sure if his brother could see. "Copy that! Stay safe!"

"Always do!"

Callum watched them go to make sure they were heading towards the correct house before returning to Rayla, who was still standing at the edge of the Johnsons' driveway.

"Update," she said, smirking at him. "Claudia and Soren _are_ here, and Claudia said she didn't realize it was your neighborhood until I mentioned it to her."

Callum snorted. He had a feeling that was a lie, but he knew Claudia didn't really like people knowing where Viren lived and therefore also knowing where she stayed when she needed a place to escape from the world. "Our friends are idiots."

"I know. I love them." Rayla typed something else out on her phone. "Claudia also said that she's kind of bored, so she's going to find Soren and see if he wants to leave." She glanced at him. "I assume they're welcome to join us for the marathon of bad horror movies?"

"Obviously. Just let them know we won't be able to start until Ellis has been picked up."

"Will do."

As Rayla texted away, Callum found himself taking in his surroundings. His ears had adjusted to the blaring music, at least for the most part. There weren't too many people outside the house, though the few that were… Well, they were clearly - er, inebriated. Wasted. Drunk as hell.

Ugh. Callum hated parties.

"I can't say I'm terribly upset we didn't come," Rayla said, moving next to his side and grimacing as some guy stumbled and fell face-first into the grass on the other side of the yard. "Felix's party was way better than whatever is going on here."

Well, Callum didn't exactly have the fondest memories of Felix's party, either, but at least no one there had been _completely _wasted. "Agreed."

Rayla suddenly leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Wait. Hold on." She frowned. "What's that girl wearing?"

Callum's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tried to figure out who she was talking about, eventually determining that she'd pinpointed a girl across the yard dressed in a gold and bronze - maybe some shades of brown and orange, too? - outfit with an ornate headdress of a similar color scheme. "Er… some kind of weird sunset costume?"

Rayla didn't answer, instead practically marching across the grass to the girl, who was leaning against a tree in an obvious attempt to keep herself from falling over.

Callum scrambled after his girlfriend, very aware that there was some sort of tension brewing and also certain that he did _not_ want it to boil over and get Rayla into trouble. As they got closer, he could unfortunately smell the almost unbearably-sweet stench of alcohol.

"Oh, hi!" the girl said as they stopped in front of her, her words practically melting together. "Your costumes are so. _So_. Good. I love them. I love you."

Callum was slightly weirded out by her unexpected affection, but he somehow resisted the urge to take a step away. He also somehow resisted the urge to pinch his nose.

Rayla seemed completely unperturbed. "Thank you," she said calmly. "If you don't mind my asking, what is _your_ costume supposed to be?"

The girl used the tree to push herself up into a standing position. "I… am a sexy Sunfire queen," she said dramatically, gesturing to her scanty clothing. "Pretty cool, right?"

Callum noticed Rayla's shoulders stiffen, and he briefly wondered if he was about to have to stop his girlfriend from punching a random drunk girl. Or worse. Also, he was certain he'd heard the term 'Sunfire' before -

Rayla took a deep breath. "I really hate that I'm the one who has to tell you this, instead of someone you actually _know_, but your costume isn't… appropriate. And I'm not referring to what it doesn't cover. It is a poor representation of the Sunfire queen's traditional coronation attire, and it is not meant to be worn… frivolously."

The girl's eyes widened. "What?" She covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh no. It's not" - her voice dropped to a loud whisper - "it's not clutteral probation, is it?"

Callum grimaced at her butchering of the term, but Rayla managed to keep her expression neutral.

"Yes. It is very disrespectful. Your costume is not only an inaccurate depiction of ancient Sunfire garb - the headdress you have is actually that of royal guards, not the queen - but it also fetishizes Sunfire culture and arguably Xadia as a whole, which further contributes to xenophobia in Katolis. I really doubt that was your intention, but the impact of your… 'costume' is what matters."

Callum was both proud of his girlfriend as well as disappointed in his own lack of knowledge. He'd have to do more research into Xadia's clans to further educate himself on their traditional attire, too.

The girl stared at them for a moment, then burst into tears. "I am so sorry," she sobbed. "I will _never_ wear this again!" She then proceeded to start taking off her costume - in the middle of the _yard_, holy hell - prompting both Callum and Rayla to jump forward and insist that no, no, it was okay, she didn't need to stop wearing it right away. Just in the future.

"If - If you're _interested_ in Sunfire culture," Callum started hesitantly, glancing sideways at Rayla, "maybe do some research to learn more about it, and to see if there are ways you can show your admiration without… without being disrespectful?" His advice came out as more of a question than a statement, but Rayla nodded and sent him a small smile before returning her attention to the drunk girl.

"Yes, that's definitely something you can do. Cultural appreciation is a different matter." She snorted. "Honestly, every country needs to learn how to better appreciate cultures outside of their own."

The girl sniffled, wiping her face with her sleeve before pulling them both into a hug. A hug that smelled _overwhelmingly_ of alcohol. Callum wanted to die. "Thank you so. So. Much. You guys are my best friends." She let go of them, fumbling as she pulled her phone out of the small purse hanging over her shoulder. "I'm going to call Hubert right now so I can go home and change clothes and learn about Sunfire culture and become a better human being." And with that, she stumbled clumsily away.

"Er, do you think she meant an Uber?" Callum asked as they watched the girl gradually make her way down the driveway.

Rayla shrugged. "Hubert or an Uber - at least she's not trying to drive herself home."

A fair point.

"Callum! Rayla!"

They turned around to see Claudia and Soren heading their way, Claudia decked out in the _best_ Morticia Addams costume Callum had _ever_ seen and Soren wearing a more simplistic Luke Castellan costume, made obvious by the surprisingly realistic scar trailing down his face and his Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

"Let's skedaddle," Claudia said upon reaching them. "I am so tired of being around people who only know how to talk about their latest sexual escapades."

Rayla snickered. "I _told_ you not to go to this party."

Claudia sighed. "I know, I know. I just couldn't resist the urge to show off my amazing costume!"

Understandable. It _was_ epic.

"Oh, also!" Claudia said excitedly, bouncing back on her heels. "I found out my role in Macbeth!"

Callum's eyes widened and he was fairly certain Rayla's did the same. "Really? What part did you get?!" he asked, knowing there was only a slim chance he'd actually recognize the character. Hopefully it was one they'd talked about while at the ice cream parlor.

"I'm the head witch!" she said, beaming. "I'm so excited!"

Rayla gasped, grabbing Claudia's hands and giving them a tight squeeze. "Oh, I called it! I said from the beginning you'd be great as one of the witches!"

"That's awesome, Claudia." Callum couldn't help but return her wide smile. "You're going to be the star of the show."

Claudia laughed. "You know I try. But I'll do my best not to steal it _too_ much from the others."

"Anyways," Soren said pointedly as they climbed into his car. "To move on from all school-related talk - what movies are on the bill for tonight?" He waited to make sure they were all buckled in before driving down the street to pick up Ezran and Ellis from Mx. Irene's, presumably having been informed by Claudia.

"Any cringe-worthy horror movie is an option," Callum said as he texted Ezran to let him know they were outside in the car with Soren and Claudia. "As long as it doesn't cost too much to rent or is available on Netflix."

Soren laughed. "Okay, nice. We should make popcorn."

Callum grinned at him. "Always do."

They were soon joined by Ezran and Ellis, who shared the candy they'd gotten from Mx. Irene with everyone. At first it looked like it'd be a tight squeeze trying to fit everyone in the car, so Claudia suggested that Rayla sit on Callum's lap, earning her a death glare from the both of them and a loud, synchronized "ew!" from Ezran and Ellis. Callum then sighed and resigned himself to sitting on the floor. It wasn't like they were travelling far.

But even from his rather uncomfortable seat and the strange vantage point it put him in as he conversed with his friends, Callum knew there was absolutely no place he'd rather be.

xXxXxXx

**Fun fact: I wrote this chapter before I watched atla, so I chose Sokka and Yue as their costumes because of what I'd seen on Tumblr, lmao! Gotta love it.**

**Shoutout to the people who discover my fic later and happen to read this chapter on Halloween. I'm sure the planets will align and that will happen to at least one person. Whoever you are, you're awesome. Anyways - we'll be getting into some more intense story arcs again! Obviously this fic is still a slice of life kinda deal, but slice of life does mean dealing with some of life's struggles, and I can't wait to get into that. (Fear not - fluff and humor will still abound.) I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you for reading! On va se revoir!**


	24. a roller coaster of emotions

**1\. Bisexual Visibility Day was September 23rd! While there are several different definitions of bisexual, a common one is "the attraction to two or more genders". Roughly 52% of the LGBT+ community is bisexual! There are several harmful stereotypes about bisexuality, from the implication that a bi individual is more likely to cheat to the notion that bisexuality is trans-exclusionary (both of which are false and bigoted assumptions). Such stereotypes combined with pervasive discrimination and hatred towards bisexuality has resulted in bisexual individuals having poorer mental health and higher self-reported rates of suicidal ideation than gay, lesbian, and heterosexual people. Biphobia ranges ranges from the implication that bi people need to "pick a side" all the way to physical/sexual violence towards bi individuals because of their sexuality. An important subset of biphobia is bi-erasure; for example, calling a bisexual character straight when they end up in a canon romance with someone of the opposite gender or calling them gay when they end up in a canon romance with someone of the same gender. Bisexual people are bi no matter who they're dating! (Condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram.)**

**2\. Do you live in the US? Are you 18+? Are you registered to vote? If not, head on over to vote dot org and register right now! This election season, we have no choice but to "#SettleForBiden". A vote for Trump is a vote for white supremacy, fascism, and hatred. The youth vote is historically underrepresented in American elections - let's change that!**

**Bonjour vous-autres! I'm excited for you guys to read this chapter. There's a lot revealed and plenty of foundation laid for future chapters, so put some coffee/tea on, snuggle up in a blanket, and get cozy. I hope you enjoy!**

xXxXxXx

"Hey, Ez," Callum called as he walked into the living room, checking the time on his phone, "we're going to have to leave soon if we want to get there on time. Claudia is saving us seats."

Ezran sighed in mild irritation, placing a bookmark in the novel he was reading before setting it down on the coffee table to the left of the couch. "Alright. Let me put my shoes on."

Callum laughed at his brother's disgruntled reaction. "You're the one who said you wanted to come to the game."

Ezran rolled his eyes. "I _do_ want to come. The universe just always seems to interrupt me when I arrive at a crucial plot point in my book."

"Pfft. Alright, drama queen." Callum raised an eyebrow. "But you _can _bring your book with you, you know. Like you don't have to leave it behind."

"Gee, thanks. I had no idea."

Callum stuck his tongue out at him, an action his younger brother copied before disappearing into his bedroom to grab his shoes.

"Getting ready for the big game?"

Callum turned around to see that his dad had entered the room and was leaning against the doorframe that led into the kitchen as he sipped a cup of tea. "Yep. Rayla and Soren have been stressing about it nonstop."

Harrow chuckled. "Understandable. This game could very well be more important to win than the national championship. At least in the long run. Especially for Soren, being a senior and all. He's played every year against Neolandia and lost every time - no doubt winning this game is what he has focused on since the beginning of the semester."

Callum tucked his phone into his pocket, having another takeaway from his father's monologue besides just how important this game was. "So you _do_ think they're a championship-bound team, then?" He knew Claudia did. And it was true that KSU's football was having an unprecedentedly good year.

Harrow shrugged, taking a sip of his tea. "Possibly. Time will tell." He cleared his throat. "But before you and Ezran leave, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." He turned around to head back inside the kitchen, gesturing for Callum to follow him.

Callum was puzzled, but saw no reason not to listen to his dad, and so joined him. He walked in to see a laptop open on the table, with a website pulled up entitled 'Xadia University: International Exchange'. "What's this about?" he asked as he sat down next to his father, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension simmering in his stomach.

"As you know, Rayla is the first Xadian student to participate in KSU's international exchange program in over a century," Harrow explained. "Her home college, Xadia University, has expressed interest in reciprocating the exchange next year because Rayla is having such success right now. Of course, they want a student specifically from KSU. Only incoming sophomores and juniors are eligible." He turned the laptop towards his son. "I think you should consider applying."

Callum blinked. "Me?" The idea of uprooting his life for an entire year was… overwhelming, to say the least, even if he wasn't opposed to travelling to Xadia. Correction: even if he wanted nothing _more _than to travel to Xadia. "Why?"

Harrow chuckled. "Namely, you are one of the only students I know that has genuine interest in Xadian culture and history. I think participating in the program would be an enriching experience for you. Not to sound like a cheesy promotional pamphlet, of course."

Callum cracked a smile at that. And his dad was right - he couldn't deny that it would be amazing to visit Xadia and take _real _Xadian history classes. But for an entire year? Still a pretty daunting prospect.

"Second, you're more than qualified to apply for the program," Harrow continued. "You're an incoming sophomore, of course, but your grades and extracurriculars - they're well above the base requirements. What's more, your scholarships could at least partially cover expenses for the trip, which means Xadia University might be more likely to consider you because _they _wouldn't have to spend as much money. So that also puts you a step ahead of the other applicants."

Well, Callum wasn't one to complain when his dad bragged about him. Everyone needed an ego boost from their parents once in a while.

"And third, you have Rayla." Callum could feel his face heating up at the comment, but his dad held up a hand to stop him from protesting, an amused smile on his lips. "Not just because you're dating her. You _know_ Rayla, and she's one of your best friends. If you go to Xadia, you'll have someone in your corner from day one. Think of how much easier a transition period Rayla would have had if she'd known someone here from the beginning."

Callum grimaced. People had been terrible to her. For _weeks_. Not that they were all sunshine and rainbows now, but their attitudes had somewhat improved, at least. Still, he knew there were things she didn't tell him. Sometimes she just looked… exhausted. He knew why. But he still felt helpless. And if he was completely honest, he wasn't sure he wanted Rayla to feel that helplessness because of him, either, on the off chance he applied and got accepted into the program.

"You don't have to decide now," Harrow reassured him. "The application period doesn't actually open up for another two weeks. I just wanted to talk to you about it in advance so you'd have plenty of time to think it over."

More like plenty of time to agonize over the possibility, but that was his own problem, not Harrow's. "Thanks, Dad. I'll… I'll definitely think about it."

Harrow clapped him on the shoulder, chuckling. "Right. I think that's enough discussion of Xadia and exchange programs for tonight. You need to get to the game and cheer on your friends to victory."

Very true. If he was even a minute late, there was a strong possibility Claudia would threaten to have him beheaded. Any later than that and she might actually go through with it. "I take it you have paperwork or something to finish?"

Harrow grimaced. "Comes with the position, I'm afraid. Opeli tried to ensure that I'd be free so I could attend, but sometimes things are out of our control. Don't worry, though - I'll have the game playing on TV the entire time."

Callum laughed. Yeah, he could believe that.

They returned to the living room, where Ezran was waiting impatiently - impatience that was probably a result of him wanting to get into the car as soon as possible so he could continue reading during the drive to the stadium.

Oops. Callum hadn't been talking _that_ long with their dad, had he?

Less than five minutes later, they were out the door and on their way, and sure enough, Ezran had his nose buried in his book. Honestly? Good for him for finding a novel that had snagged his attention so thoroughly.

And now Callum was about to put his neck beneath the guillotine blade, but… Oh well. "Hey, Ez?"

His brother grunted in response, and Callum rolled his eyes.

"Ez. Come on. I have an important question."

Ezran groaned but reluctantly lifted his head. "Fine. Make it quick."

Callum had to bite back an amused snicker, aware that such a reaction would not curry favor with his sibling. "Okay." He slowed to a stop at a red light. "So… Dad talked to me about a school… _thing_… that he thinks I should apply for."

Ezran raised an eyebrow. "And what does that have to do with me?"

Right. A failure on the indirect approach. Time to dive straight in. "Uh… Basically, Dad recommended that I apply for the exchange program next year. The international one. In Xadia."

Ezran blinked and slowly closed his book, as if processing what his brother had said. "You'd live in Xadia? For… an entire year?" There was a hesitance to his voice, a still wariness that Callum wasn't sure he'd ever heard before.

"Yeah," Callum said after a pause. "I would."

Ezran swallowed, nodding. "Okay. Is that - Is it something you _want _to do?"

Callum chewed his bottom lip, pulling through the intersection when the light turned green. "I'm not sure yet. It's… an interesting opportunity, for sure, and I love the idea of getting to spend another year with Rayla and learning about Xadia in person, but…" He glanced at his brother. "I wanted to hear what my friends thought, first. Before I made any decisions about whether or not I should apply."

"Right." Ezran nodded stiffly. "No, that makes sense."

Callum turned left. "What do you think, then? Should I apply?"

Ezran exhaled slowly, pushing out air between his lips. "I think… that being in Xadia is something you would really enjoy. Especially with Rayla there to show you everything she loves about her home. And you'd probably learn a lot by going there, too, which you'd _also _enjoy because you're weird and like learning. Plus." He smirked at his brother, though with less mischief than usual. "You'd get to see Rayla every day for another year, so I can't imagine you having a problem with that."

Callum chuckled. "Yeah, definitely not something I'd mind." He glanced at his brother again. "But…?"

Ezran hesitated. "But…" He averted his eyes, turning to stare stubbornly out the window. "But nothing. That's it."

Callum sighed. "Ez. Come on." He wasn't stupid, and he could read Ezran's body language better than anyone. "Spit it out. I know there's something you aren't saying."

Ezran groaned. "It's no big deal."

"It's obviously important to you, so that means it's a big deal to me. You know there's nothing we can't tell each other."

"Ugh. Fine." Ezran's fist clenched, then fell slack into his lap. "I… might miss you. If you left for an entire year."

Oh.

Right. Callum should have seen that coming. _Damn_. It would not be good for him to start crying while he was still driving. "Ah." His grip tightened on the steering wheel. "I mean, I'd miss you, too. A lot."

Ezran's shoulders stiffened, and he spun around to glare accusingly at his brother. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go!" His voice cracked, and he winced, but he didn't stop. "Because Xadia is a place you're interested in! And - And if it's something you _want_ to do, you shouldn't let anything or anyone convince you otherwise, because you know what's right for you."

Callum stopped at another red light, and he turned to face Ezran. "Thanks," he said after a pause, relieved his own voice didn't break. "I really - I'm glad to have your input."

Ezran attempted to discreetly rub his eyes, though he was met with little success. "You're welcome. Now shut up. I want to keep reading."

Callum was torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to cry, instead deciding on a smile and a shake of his head. "Just so you know, I will be giving you a hug when you least expect it, since you're the best brother in the world. Consider this your heads-up."

Ezran grinned, though he didn't tear his gaze away from his book as he reopened it. "I'd like to see you try."

They arrived at the stadium about ten minutes later, and Callum had to reassure his brother - much to his own amusement - that yes, he was allowed to bring his book inside. It would be fine, and no, Claudia would not hate him for doing so. He was simply contractually obligated to look at the field whenever Rayla and Soren were playing. Other than that, he was free to pay as little attention to the game as he liked. That was how Callum approached it, anyway. He loved Rayla, but… he wasn't sure he could ever love football. He'd gotten what was basically a 'football for dummies' book, though, so at least he was slowly understanding more of the game on his own.

"Hey guys!" Claudia called excitedly, waving at them from their seats near the front of the student section. "Over here!"

True to her words, she had saved them two seats, both directly to her right. But to her left was someone Callum had definitely never expected to see at a _football _game, of all places.

"Sonya?" he said curiously, taking the seat next to Claudia. "I didn't know you were coming."

Sonya rolled her eyes. She was wearing a maroon sweater - presumably the closest thing she had to anything representative of school spirit. "It was a last minute decision." She glanced sideways at Claudia. "And not one I had much of a say in."

Huh. He hadn't known Claudia and Sonya had been hanging out. Though he probably shouldn't have been surprised - they'd gotten along super well at Aimee's, and he knew they already had at least one class together. "Well, I'm sure Rayla will appreciate the additional support," he said with a smile. "Doubly so if they win."

"You mean _when_ we win," Claudia corrected, jokingly elbowing him in the arm. "I will not be accepting any doubt of our team's capabilities tonight!"

Callum bit back a laugh. "Okay, Clauds. Moving on." He gestured to his brother, who was sitting to his right. "Ezran, meet Sonya. Rayla and I have Renaissance History with her. Sonya, Ezran is my little brother."

Sonya gave Ezran a small wave, the shiny black ring on her middle finger catching the light from the stadium. "It's nice to meet you, Ezran. Callum talks about you a lot. Mostly good things."

Ezran snickered. "That's because he's a responsible older brother. All of _my_ friends know a million embarrassing stories about Callum."

"Wow, thanks," Callum scoffed. "I feel so loved."

Sonya winked at Ezran. "I'd love to hear some of those embarrassing stories. Whenever you have time."

Ezran grinned at her. "I'll give you my number after the game. Be prepared for me to blow up your phone."

Callum sighed in defeat. "Ez, how do you _always_ get my friends to turn against me so easily?"

Ezran gave him an innocent smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

A blatant lie, but debating would get him nowhere, so Callum contented himself with flicking his brother's ear, earning a squawk of protest from Ezran. Callum then noticed a pained frown forming on Claudia's face out of the corner of his eye, and he turned to see her staring down sadly at her phone.

"Something wrong?" he asked, concerned.

Claudia sighed, turning off her phone and dropping it into her purse. "Yes. No? Ugh! It's whatever." She huffed. "Dad just texted me that he can't come to the game tonight. He _knows_ how important this game is for Soren, and sure! He has official school stuff! Whatever! But he could at least put the game on at home or record it or something, you know?" She tucked the white streak behind her ear as it fell over her face. "God. I don't know how I'm going to tell Soren. This was like, the _one_ game he really cared about Dad seeing."

Callum grimaced. He knew neither sibling had the greatest relationship with Viren, though he was also keenly aware that Soren had always been… second best. In Viren's eyes. "I'm sorry, Claudia." What else could he say? "I wish there was something I could do."

Claudia shrugged. "It's fine, I guess. Not like Soren isn't used to Dad not coming."

That was the worst silver lining Callum had ever heard. But not wanting to make her dwell on the disappointment any longer, he offered a subject change. "So, what can you tell me about Neolandia?"

Claudia _did _brighten up at the mention of the game, which Callum took as a win. She gave them all a rundown of KSU and Neolandia's history, the gist of which seemed to be that KSU had lost to Neolandia for the past seven or eight years, which KSU fans were… _displeased_ about. Not to mention Neolandia had won several national titles during that time, too, which was like rubbing salt in the wound. As a result, if - _when_ \- KSU won, it would both boost them up in the rankings and make them a contender for the playoffs. Which was a prospect Claudia was very passionate about.

Ezran picked up on her energy the most, apparently, as he'd almost immediately transformed into a miniature hype man for Claudia and had promptly begged her to lend him one of her pom poms for the game.

She of course obliged, because who could say no to Ezran?

Callum, although he knew she wouldn't see it in time, couldn't stop himself from sending a text to Rayla.

_Callum: you've got this! go royals!_

"The teams are coming out!" Claudia cheered. "Oh my gosh, it's happening! We are _finally_ going to beat Neolandia! This is our year!"

Callum wasn't able to pinpoint Rayla's jersey among the crowd, but he knew she was there. And… Claudia was right. He _knew_ they were going to win. "Let's go, Royals!"

xXxXxXx

Okay, while Callum still knew they could - _would_ \- win, the back and forth pattern of the game was giving him massive anxiety. Every time KSU scored, Neolandia would counter with points of their own, and Callum had to resist the urge to tear his hair out from the stress. He'd kind of hoped KSU would just stomp Neolandia, that way he wouldn't have been tempted to revert back to the period of his life where he chewed his nails because of his anxiety, but he supposed that was too much to ask from two of the best teams in the country.

He was relieved to note, at least, that Rayla appeared to be having no trouble with her previously-sprained finger, as she caught every pass thrown to her without difficulty. She and Soren were pretty much on fire every time they were on the field together. Rayla had only dropped one, maybe two passes, and Soren was yet to throw a single interception.

Huh. He hoped he hadn't just jinxed them.

From his seat in the student section he was able to see Lucas on the sidelines near KSU's current end zone, another cheerleader standing on his hands as he held her above his head. Which blew Callum's mind. Cheerleaders were _insanely_ powerful.

Neolandia's coach took a timeout, and Claudia sat down, massaging her temples. She looked like she was on the _verge _of completely freaking out, but was somehow containing her panic. "If my hair is completely gray tomorrow, know that it is solely because of this game."

"You sure it's not because you keep bleaching your hair lighter?" Sonya remarked, amused, earning herself a mock-glare from Claudia.

"You hush, little miss." But an amused smile nonetheless inched onto her face.

"I didn't think football could be this stressful," Ezran admitted, Claudia's pom pom that she'd lent to him resting on his lap. "They'd better win. Or else."

The genuine intensity and touch of malice in his younger brother's voice sent a chill down Callum's spine. Was Claudia's obsession with football contagious?

"Everyone hush!" Claudia exclaimed, jumping back to her feet as the teams returned to the field. "Okay. If we hold them here, then all we'll have to do is run the clock out, which should be no problem for Rayla and Soren. Just a couple first downs." She pumped her fist. "Come on, defense!"

Callum was pretty sure he'd never be able to think ahead as many plays as Claudia did, so he focused on her first statement: KSU needed to 'hold' Neolandia. In other words, they needed to stop them from scoring a first down. Which normally wouldn't have been a major issue, but Neolandia's offense rivalled KSU's in terms of skill. Hence why Callum was watching every play so apprehensively.

"Neolandia's going for it on fourth down," Claudia muttered, though her voice had jumped up an octave. "Makes sense. A last-ditch play. But we can cover this. We can! They need eight yards - something we can stop super easily. No problem."

It sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

The roar of the crowd had to be reaching record levels, as it seemed like everyone knew that this was the most important play of the game. Callum had to fight the urge to squeeze his eyes shut, though he didn't hesitate to clamp his hands over his ears. Anything to dull the excruciating amount of sensory details around him.

He was still able to hear what sounded like a collective gasp from the crowd as the ball was snapped, and -

"Oh my God, he fumbled the snap! KSU recovery!" Claudia screeched, jumping up and down and waving her single pom pom so aggressively he was concerned it would fly out of her hand. "That's game! That's game! We won!"

Her cries were soon drowned out by the ecstatic screams of every other KSU fan in the stadium, including those of himself, Ezran, and even Sonya, though Sonya's feet remained planted on the ground. Claudia proceeded to turn to her left and press a kiss to Sonya's cheek before turning away to continue jumping around and cheering at the top of her lungs.

Callum, on any other day, would have needed a moment to process _that _particular action, but his mind was too consumed by the thought of Rayla and Rayla and getting to see _Rayla_. Somehow they all managed to stop themselves from sprinting onto the field when the game was officially brought to a close, instead fighting through the crowd as they hastily followed Claudia around the stadium to a back entrance of the locker room that she said Soren had shown her before the game. He'd told her if they won that there was no they'd be able to find each other on the field, not with all the players and cameras and reporters, so they'd meet there instead.

"We need to celebrate!" Ezran said eagerly as they waited outside the door, bouncing on his heels. "Should we get ice cream? Or jelly tarts? Or literally anything sugar-filled?"

Callum burst out laughing at his brother's comment. Even Sonya cracked a smile. "Are you _sure _you didn't come to this game just because I told you we'd be getting food afterwards?"

Ezran shrugged. "I can have more than one motivation."

Callum was tempted to tease him further, but he was stopped short as the door swung open, revealing Soren - sweaty but no longer in uniform, and with the biggest grin that Callum had ever seen on his face.

"We won!" he shouted, immediately pulling all of them - minus Sonya - into a massive group hug. "Holy crap, we actually won! This is the best day of my life!"

"You were amazing, Sor-Bear," Claudia praised, able to embrace her brother directly because she was at the front of the hug. "I am _so _proud of you! You're the most talented quarterback KSU has ever seen!"

"You certainly played an impressive game," Sonya said from beside them, ever the calm one. "I enjoyed watching it."

"You and Rayla really were at your best," Callum reassured Soren as they were gradually released from the hug. "I mean, I know nothing about football, but you hit almost every pass you threw, so that's gotta be good, right?"

Soren laughed, reaching out to ruffle Callum's hair. "Yes, it is. Thank you, Callum. I appreciate your attempt to follow the game." He then turned to Ezran, offering him a high five. "Pretty awesome for your first time in the stadium, huh?"

Ezran eagerly returned the high five. "It was the best! Can I come to every game from now on?"

Claudia placed her hands over her heart. "I've raised him so well. My protégé."

Callum groaned. "I can't believe I'm the only person here who _isn't_ obsessed with football." His brother, two of his best friends, his girlfriend somewhere inside the locker room - he'd forever be outnumbered.

"_Please_ don't suggest I'm obsessed with this sport," Sonya said with a small smirk. "I'm afraid I still would not call myself a fan. But. I did have a good time tonight." She turned to face Claudia. "Thank you for inviting me. I wouldn't mind doing this again… with you." Her face was dusted with a light blush, and she said her goodbyes after revealing that she had to leave and meet with her cousin.

Soren gave his sister a mischievous grin as soon as Sonya was out of sight, elbowing her arm. "So that's the girl you've been talking about, huh, little sis?"

Claudia groaned, her own face turning red. "Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have told you about her. Now I'm never going to hear the end of it."

Callum blinked, his brain processing on a minimum ten-second delay. "Wait, what?"

Ezran rolled his eyes. "Come on, Callum. Claudia was flirting with Sonya the _entire_ game. Don't tell me you missed it."

Callum's jaw dropped. "She was _what_?"

Soren burst out laughing. "Dude. I know you can get lost in your own world, mostly because I totally understand the feeling, but that's gotta be a whole new level of missing what's right in front of you."

"Don't forget how long it took him to realize his own feelings about Rayla," Claudia muttered, though her eyes glittered with amusement. "Much less recognize that Rayla liked him back."

Callum flushed. It was true - he really hadn't been paying much attention to his friends during the game. His mind had been consumed by thoughts of the Xadian exchange program, while his hands had been busy sketching as his eyes continually glanced up onto the field to watch for any play from jersey #16. "I was… focused on the game, okay?"

"Psh. More like focused on your girlfriend," Ezran teased, and Callum had to resist the urge to strangle his little brother. Mostly because he was right.

"Anyways," Callum said, desperately wanting to change the subject, "aren't we supposed to be getting ready to go out and celebrate this victory somewhere?"

Soren gave him a thumbs up. "You are absolutely correct, my guy." He gestured to the open door of the locker room behind him. "You can wait inside, if you want. I just need to grab my bag and stuff. Felix and Rayla should be joining us in a minute."

As Callum stepped inside with Ezran, he noticed that the room was empty except for a few players who were mostly on their way out. He sat next to his brother on a bench resting against the back wall, only then realizing that Claudia and Soren were yet to come in. If the way Ezran's gaze was also focused on the door they'd entered through indicated anything, it appeared he, too, had noticed how their friends had hung back.

"So… Dad couldn't make it?"

Oh, _no_. Soren's voice was low, tinged with a mixture of disappointment and exhaustion that made Callum's chest ache.

"No. He couldn't," Claudia said quietly. "He… well, you know. Said what he always says. 'Something came up'."

Soren sighed, the frustration in his voice obvious. "I'm sick of his excuses, Claudia. Why doesn't he just disown me already? It'd be better than _pretending _he actually cares!"

"You know he doesn't mean to -"

"Who cares what he _means_, Claudia?! I'm still here. It still _hurts_ every goddamn time he doesn't show up. He hasn't come to a single game! Not fucking one for four fucking years!" There was a pause, and Callum could practically picture Claudia flinching and Soren's face paling, though he still couldn't see them. "Shit. I - I'm sorry, Claudia. It's not - It's not your fault that he doesn't give a damn."

"Soren, he _does_ care -"

"Claudia. Just stop." His voice wavered. "Please."

Callum recognized that their conversation was not one to continue listening to, and he physically turned himself away from the door in an attempt to focus on something - _anything_ \- else. He didn't miss the worry written all over his brother's face as he did so, and he gently squeezed Ezran's shoulder. "We'll make sure he has fun tonight," he murmured. "I promise."

Ezran hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. We will."

"Oh, Callum! Just the man I'm looking for."

Callum looked up to see Felix jogging across the locker room towards him. "Hey!" he said, clueless as to why he felt surprised to see his friend, since he was fully aware Felix would be joining them that evening. "I hear you're celebrating the win with us tonight."

Felix chuckled, and Callum noticed that his face had a red tint to it. Maybe exertion from the game? "Actually, that's what I need to talk to you about. Something else has come up, so I can't go with you guys anymore."

Callum frowned. "Oh. Is it something serious?"

"No! No, nothing like that," Felix hastily reassured him. "My friend from drama finally has some spare time to hang out with me outside of academic and extracurricular stuff, so I'm taking advantage of that and going to a movie with him. Are you okay with letting everyone know that I won't be able to come with you guys?"

Callum nodded, giving him a thumbs up. "Definitely. Have fun with your friend!" He easily sympathized with the desire to spend time with people he hadn't seen in a while. That particular weakness of his would undoubtedly make it harder to go a full year in Xadia without his friends.

Ugh. He needed to get off that train of thought. He briefly debated telling Rayla about the program, but… No. Not yet. He wanted to talk with a few other people first.

Felix beamed at him. "Awesome. Thank you so much! And see you at practice!"

Ezran frowned as Felix waved and walked away. "Wait, you have a practice with him?"

"I mean, _I_ don't. But I bring Rayla to football practice sometimes, and I think I'll be picking Claudia up from Macbeth rehearsal every so often until the show. Whenever Soren has their car, at least."

Ezran gasped. "Wait, Claudia was cast?! And you didn't _tell_ me? What role did she get?"

Oops. Callum forgot Ezran had been with Mx. Irene when Claudia had revealed she'd been cast in Macbeth. Well, it wasn't like she was keeping it a secret. Not as far as he knew. And besides - it was _Ezran_. They all told Ezran everything. "Yes, she was cast. She's the head witch."

"Really?! That's amazing! Claudia is going to be the _best _witch!"

That sounded… too much like a backhanded compliment.

"I'm going to be the best what?"

Speak of the devil. Er, witch.

Claudia and Soren had returned inside the locker room, and Ezran jumped to his feet and immediately began gushing about Macbeth. Claudia of course responded in turn, while Soren watched on with fond amusement. Both siblings seemed calm, as if they hadn't just confronted the fact that their dad hadn't come to his son's biggest game of the season. Callum was about to offer his two cents when he was distracted by a familiar face in the corner of his eye.

"Rayla!" he exclaimed, practically leaping in the direction of his girlfriend to pull her into a tight hug. She'd changed out of her uniform into a maroon camisole and black leggings, and although she was sweaty and her hair had fallen halfway out of its bun, she was still the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. Without thinking, he stood on his tiptoes to press a kiss to her lips, which his girlfriend reciprocated in a matter of seconds, allowing his feet to fall back flat to the floor.

"Someone missed me," Rayla murmured as she pulled away, the knowing glint in her eyes making him blush.

"That was actually a celebratory kiss," he corrected, "since you kicked Neolandia's ass tonight. It was a pretty breathtaking game."

"Aw," Rayla cooed. "You know just how to flatter me."

Callum shrugged. "I mean, you did crush them. You're able to do anything you put your mind to. And _that_…" He tucked her hair behind her ear. "Is amazing. And I love it about you."

Rayla's eyes widened, as if his words had struck a chord deep within her. But that expression soon vanished, and was replaced by her typical fond affection, and she pressed another chaste kiss to his lips. "Thank you, Callum. You're the sweetest."

"Wow, you guys really just forgot we were here," Claudia said, voice dripping with amusement. "When's the wedding? Should I expect an invitation next week?"

"I'm pretty sure they're already married," Soren mused. "Gotta say, I'm hurt they didn't invite us."

Callum rolled his eyes, and he was pretty sure Rayla did the same. "If we ever got married, rest assured that you three would be the first to know. But we're not even twenty yet, so it's not like marriage is a topic on the table."

Claudia smirked at him. "Oh, so you admit you've _thought_ about marrying Rayla -"

"As much as I would normally _love _to see how this conversation would end," Ezran interrupted, "I'm gonna stop you there, because this is a tangent that could easily spiral out of control. And I would like ice cream or some kind of dessert _sooner _rather than _later_."

Callum had never been so grateful for his brother's presence.

Rayla nodded, face pink. "Right. Yes. Ezran makes a great point. Should we - Should we all meet at the car?" Callum started to follow everyone out the locker room after they nodded, but stopped when she grabbed his hand. "Help me with my bag?"

Callum blinked, then nodded. "Sure."

"No making out!" Claudia called after them as they headed in the opposite direction towards the girls' locker room, a comment Rayla responded to by flipping her off without even looking back.

"Do you _actually_ need my help to get your bag," Callum asked when they were alone, "or is there something else going on?" She'd never needed his help before. Not that he minded either way - it was just unusual.

"Ugh. I really am an open book." Rayla grabbed her duffel bag from the floor of the locker room and dropped it onto a bench. "Yeah. There's something else I wanted to talk to you about. Preferably in private, hence why we're here."

Callum raised an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned?"

She managed a laugh. "'Concern' isn't _exactly _the word I'd use." She took a deep breath, twisting her hands together. "Like I told you on Halloween, I… I want you to meet Runaan and Ethari. Next Saturday is our bye week, and also the beginning of fall break, so I've already talked to them about the possibility of meeting then. They're both available to video chat that evening. Is - Is that something you'd be okay with doing?"

Rayla was one of the most confident and assertive people Callum knew. Even after they'd started dating, he could tell that her strong facade wasn't fully a facade - she was an incredibly strong person. Seeing her be so… vulnerable and open was not _new_, by any means, but he was aware it wasn't something to brush over.

He stepped forward, taking her hands in his. "I can't wait," he said, hoping his sincerity outweighed the anxiety edging at the back of his mind. He was… _terrified _to meet them. Hopefully they wouldn't hate him - honestly, more for Rayla's sake than his.

Rayla let out a breath he hadn't realized she'd been holding, her shoulders visibly slumping as the tension left her body. "Really? Oh, this is great!" She squeezed his hands. "Thank you, Callum. I was… pretty scared to bring this up. It was really hard to avoid freaking out just now."

Callum smirked at her. "You were trying not to freak out? Really? I had no idea! You hid it so well."

Rayla laughed at his teasing. "Shut up."

His grin widened. "Make me."

She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Claudia tell us not to make out?"

Callum glanced at the clock on the wall. "I think we can spare a minute. Besides, what she doesn't know won't hurt her." He took a step closer to his girlfriend. "And since when have you ever listened to Claudia?"

"Hmm… Point taken."

xXxXxXx

**(I KNOW I wrote this but Viren is such a jerk, wow.)**

**Shoutout to a reader I think on Wattpad who predicted EONS ago that I'd be introducing the idea of Callum possibly going to Xadia next year as part of reciprocating the exchange program. You know me better than I know myself, lmfao. But honestly, shoutout to all my readers. Your comments are genuinely the highlight of my week amidst stress from school and covid-19. I love you guys so much! Thank you for reading!**


	25. what friends are for

**WARNING: Misgendering; occurs three or four times in the second half of the chapter. If you are sensitive to such, please proceed with caution.**

**1\. In 2019, the American Medical Association described violence against the trans community as an "epidemic" that disproportionately impacts trans individuals of color, especially trans women of color. More than 1/3 of Black trans individuals who have interacted with police departments report harassment. In 2019, at least 26 trans or gender noncomforming Americans were killed violently; 91% were Black trans women. As of June 2020, 12 trans or gender noncomforming Americans were killed violently. 1 in 5 trans people are refused medical care. 78% of trans students (K-12) experience harassment. More than 50% of trans male teens have reported attempting suicide. Of the 1.6 million homeless youth in the U.S., 20-40% are transgender. We cannot allow this to continue. To be better allies, we must LISTEN to trans people. We must use our privilege as cisgender individuals to UPLIFT trans voices. Even on a small scale, we must normalize introducing ourselves with our pronouns. And that is only the beginning. (Condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram.)**

**Bonjour vous-autres! Mon nom c'est "faerialchemist," et mon pronoms sont elle/sa. So, my pronouns are she/her. I don't think my attempt at French there was extraordinarily accurate, but it was worth a shot, lol. If you're comfortable with it, feel free to leave your pronouns at the beginning of your comment if you choose to leave one!**

**This chapter is on the shorter side, but you'll meet a few more characters in the gang of friends I've created, whom I hope you'll love as much as I do. Next week... shit gets real. Can't wait for you guys to read both this chapter and the next! I hope you enjoy!**

xXxXxXx

Callum had been busy doing research on the Xadian exchange program when his phone started buzzing on his desk, startling him enough that he jerked backwards in his seat before leaning forward to actually read the caller ID.

He frowned. Why was Claudia calling him?

Wait. He wasn't supposed to pick her up from rehearsal today, was he? No - it was Monday. Soren was able to get her. But she was _calling_ him. That meant it had to be important, since she hated talking on the phone as much as he did.

"What's up?" he asked after picking up.

"First, I'm sorry for interrupting your day out of the blue," Claudia began, "but could you come to Seton Hall and jumpstart our car? My dad is at work and I don't want to interrupt the rest of rehearsal. Everyone else who was dismissed has already left, so right now we're just kind of stuck."

"Sure," Callum said, closing his laptop. Seton Hall was less than ten minutes away from his dorm by car. "You want me to come now?" He glanced at the clock on the wall of his bedroom. "Also, I thought your rehearsal ended at five." At that moment, it was only a few minutes after four.

"Uh… Today we just did a cold read," Claudia explained, "so Ms. Secrest let everyone out early except Dominic and Hazel. Er, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. I think they're doing some character workshopping stuff."

"Oh, okay. Cool." She sounded like she was holding something back, but Callum didn't feel the need to read too deeply into it. If it ended up being important, she'd tell him. He stood up from his desk, grabbing his keys. "I'll be there in about ten, fifteen minutes tops."

"Thank you so much, Callum! You're literally the best."

He laughed. "I know, but I appreciate the reminder."

True to his word, he arrived only a few minutes after leaving his dorm. During the drive, his thoughts were primarily occupied by the Xadian exchange program, as they had been nearly 24/7 since his dad first introduced the prospect to him. He'd done some preliminary research over the weekend into what the application would entail. Pretty standard stuff, if he was honest. An essay about why he was applying, a copy of his transcript, two teacher recommendations, a copy of his passport, and basic information, like his age, grade, all that jazz.

He wondered if he was allowed to ask Harrow to write one of his recommendations. If not, he could ask his physics instructor. And maybe Professor Dupuy.

But he still hadn't _actually_ decided whether or not he was going to apply. It was exciting to consider, yet he also knew he had to keep in mind that he'd never been away from his friends or family for so long. And he was almost certain that he was the type of person to get homesick.

He'd talk to Soren and Claudia about the program, then. While he was jumpstarting their car. Or rather, while _Soren _used his car to jumpstart theirs. Since Callum was kind of incompetent when it came to cars and any other form of heavy machinery. He needed to work on his complete and utter lack of knowledge in that department, sure, but… Eh. A problem for another year.

Callum turned into Seton Hall's parking lot, stopping his car in front of Claudia and Soren's. "Your knight in not-so-shining armor has arrived," he said with a mock-bow and a small smirk as he climbed out next to them. "You're welcome."

"Uh huh. Thank you," Claudia cooed, dragging out the final vowel. "I owe you big time."

"Am I allowed to take favors from the both of you?" Callum asked, glancing at Soren and grinning. "I wouldn't mind having two favors on my tab. You know. Just in case I need them."

"That would be _three_ favors, if you count me!" a cheerful voice added, and Callum turned to his left to see a person with short, curly blonde hair and brown freckles scattered across their nose and cheekbones in stark contrast to their pale skin standing just behind Claudia. "The name's Emilé. They/Them pronouns, please." They gestured towards Soren and Claudia, and Callum noticed they had a thin white ring on their left middle finger. "I was catching a ride with these two today, meaning you're helping me out most outstandingly by coming all the way here. So I _also_ owe you one."

Callum chuckled. "I can't complain about having three favors stocked up." He offered them a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Emilé. I'm Callum. He/Him pronouns." Claudia had mentioned Emilé at least a _few _times before. He was pretty sure they were one of the three witches with her, and that they were supposed to have met up with them after a game ages ago but they ultimately hadn't been able to.

That said, he didn't really know anything else about them..

Emilé gasped. "_You're_ Callum?" They grinned. "I have heard many excellent stories about you. Claudia says you're the ride or die friend."

"Uh, because he is," Claudia said, rolling her eyes. "Don't doubt me now, Emilé. It's not too late for me to refuse to bring you home."

"Claudia, that is a most heinous presumption on your part! I would never doubt you."

Callum didn't really understand why Emilé sounded like they were straight out of _Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure_, but it definitely added a unique and… highly specific charm to their persona.

"Success!" Soren exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention back to the two vehicles hooked together. He then detached the jumper cables, closing the hoods of both cars. "Thank you, Callum. Your generosity will not be forgotten." He stuck his cables into the trunk of his car before turning to face his sister and Emilé. "Do you guys have everything you need before we go?"

Claudia started to say yes, but was promptly cut off by a loud, "Oh, bogus!" from Emilé.

Callum had to bite back a laugh. "I think someone might have forgotten something."

Emilé groaned. "Yeah. I left my character shoes in the dressing room." They sighed. "Sorry, guys. I'll be right back."

As Emilé jogged back into the building, Callum decided to seize the moment and as his friends about the Xadian exchange program. Not that he didn't want to do in front of Emilé, he just… didn't know them particularly well, as fun as they seemed to be. And this topic was… well, it was personal to him. Though it could be rather amusing to hear Emilé's thoughts on the matter, what with their occasional penchant for 80s slang.

"So," he began, fingering the sleeve of his blue jacket and feeling oddly nervous. "My dad recently told about - about a new exchange program KSU is implementing. Next year. Kind of a response, I guess, to the program Rayla is participating in."

Claudia snapped her fingers. "Ooh! I think I know what you're talking about! The one with Xadia University, right?"

Callum blinked, though he wasn't sure why he was surprised that Claudia knew about the program. His dad had probably worked with Viren to confirm another exchange was possible, after all. "Uh, yeah. That's the one."

Claudia gasped, her eyes widening with excitement as she grabbed his arms. "Callum, are you going to apply? That's so awesome! You're totally gonna get in!"

Callum couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm. "I haven't decided yet. I wanted to talk it through with a few people first." He gestured to the brother and sister duo. "And you guys are my oldest and closest friends, so obviously I wanted to ask for your thoughts on the matter."

"Well, my thoughts are that it's amazing," Claudia said, beaming at him as she released his arms. "Going to Xadia is, at this point in our timeline, pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You could learn so much there! You _have_ to do it."

"Yeah, I know it's a really unique learning experience," Callum admitted, "but also… a year is a _long_ time to be out of Katolis. And it's not like I can just come home after a week if I decide I don't like it there. It's - It's a big commitment."

Claudia paused. "Okay, true." She gave him a soft smile. "But it's not like you'll be completely cut off from contacting us. We can text all the time, and even schedule weekly video calls if you want! Plus, I'm pretty sure my dad mentioned something about whoever is accepted into the program having the option to fly home during the holidays." She winked at him. "Not to mention you'll have Rayla, which is a pretty significant advantage that will _probably _make it way easier for you to get adjusted there."

Callum flushed. "Okay. Yeah. That's true." His dad had said the same thing.

Claudia smirked at him. "Trust me. You won't be able to get rid of our constant presence in your life _that _easily. If you get in, I will be living vicariously through your experiences. That means I will expect photo updates on the daily."

Callum tilted his head, frowning. Claudia seemed pretty interested in the program herself, so… "Why don't you apply? You're an incoming junior, which means you meet the qualifications, too."

"Ah." Claudia winced, exchanging a look with Soren that Callum wasn't sure how to interpret. "Dad… doesn't want me to. He'd prefer I not" - she cut herself off, grimacing - "well, he just wants me to stay at KSU all four years. So I can't go." She winked at him again, her cheery attitude returning. "Which is all the more reason for you to apply! It's not the same as going myself, sure, but it's a pretty close second."

Callum chuckled. "You seem very confident that I'll be the one who gets into the program."

"As long as you get Rayla to proofread your essay, you totally will."

Callum rolled his eyes dramatically. "You have so little faith in my writing capabilities." He paused before adding, "And you are completely justified." He then turned to Soren, who'd been oddly quiet the entire time. "What do you think?"

Soren pursed his lips, leaning against the side of his car. "I think that you are the only person in all of KSU who could genuinely appreciate spending a year in Xadia," he finally said. "No offense, Clauds."

"None taken."

"So yeah. I think you should apply for the program." He chuckled. "I wanted to study abroad as a junior in Duren, but my dad didn't let me go, either. So you should definitely take advantage of an opportunity like this one, especially since you have Professor Harrow's support."

Callum felt tension ease out of his shoulders, and a burst of confidence surged through him that presented itself as a grateful smile. "Thanks, guys." He laughed. "It feels _really_ good to have talked about that with someone besides my inner critic, who is much more judgmental than you are."

Claudia snickered. "Yes, I imagine so."

"Do you plan to ask Rayla about it?" Soren asked.

Callum chewed his bottom lip. _That_ was - to quote Emilé - an excellent question. Obviously he wanted to hear his girlfriend's opinion, but he was also kind of terrified, because what if she didn't _want_ him to go? That would be painful to discover. Like, more painful than finding out he'd been rejected from the art showcase. Which hadn't happened, to be fair, but he'd still imagined it several times. "At some point, yes," he decided. "I'm just waiting for the right time." He figured it would be wisest to ask her _after_ he'd been introduced to Runaan and Ethari, as she was currently very stressed about that upcoming event.

_He _was stressed out of his mind, too, but he was trying his best to remain calm and collected for her sake. Callum was pretty sure she could see right through him, anyways.

"You should for sure talk to her eventually," Claudia agreed. "Maybe when -"

She was interrupted by a loud crash from inside the building, a booming noise that startled all of them. The three exchanged a quick glance before promptly darting inside and sprinting down the hall to the classroom where rehearsals were being held.

"James, that is _enough_," a tall lady with curly red hair was saying. She stood at the front of the room, on top of a 'stage' about half a foot high. "Your behavior is inexcusable and you _will _be reported for this."

"And you can forget about being in _any_ of KSU's future performances," a blonde woman that Callum vaguely recognized as the theatre teacher, Ms. Secrest, snapped. "Consider your role recast."

A pale boy with light brown hair - James? - was also on the stage, standing above a shorter, dark-skinned boy with tight, curly black hair shaved close to his head, as if he'd shoved the second boy to the ground. A speaker was also toppled over, half-fallen off the stage - presumably what had caused the loud noise they'd heard.

"Don't you two try to defend her!" the brown-haired boy shouted, angrily stomping his foot and nearly crushing the hand of the boy on the ground. "She doesn't deserve your support!"

"Don't _talk_ about me like that, James," the boy on the ground retorted, though he was careful not to make any sudden moves. "You're letting petty jealousy get the best of you."

"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!"

"What's going on?" Callum whispered, anxiety making his stomach roll.

Claudia appeared frozen in place. "I -" She shook her head, snapping herself out of her stupor. "That's James," she muttered, pointing to the boy who was still standing. "He really wanted to be Macbeth, but he ended up getting cast as Duncan. Dominic" - she pointed to the boy on the ground - "got Macbeth. James was pissed about _that _from the get-go, because he's an arrogant twat. Then he found out Dominic was trans, because as vice president of KSU's chapter of Katolis Trans Advocates Dominic is really open about his transitioning, and basically - well, James was really rude about it." She grimaced. "So Ms. O'Reilly, our AD, said he had one chance to fix his attitude before he was kicked out of the show. Which is the real reason we were dismissed early today." She shook her head again, frustration burning in her green eyes. "Looks like he failed. Good riddance. He was enough of a douchebag already, even without the transphobic bullshit."

"James, step away from Dominic right now," Ms. Secrest ordered. "You have done enough damage today."

"It's not my fault you cast a girl in a part meant for a guy," James snapped. "A part I could have performed a hundred times better than _her_."

Dominic glared at him, though he wisely made no move to change his position on the floor. "I'd appreciate it kindly if you would stop referring to me with those pronouns."

"Who the hell is going to stop me?"

Callum noticed Dominic wince at James's words - an expression he'd seen before. Bitterness, pain, frustration, a stinging paralysis of not being able to make something stop. He'd seen it…

He'd seen it on Rayla.

Anger roared in Callum's chest, and before he knew what he was doing, he'd barged down to the front of the room and - politely - pushed his way through Ms. Secrest and Emilé, who he hadn't even noticed was there, and slammed his heel on the edge of the stage. "Hey!" he snapped. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Who the hell are you?" James sneered, avoiding his question.

"All you need to know is that I'm Professor Harrow's son," Callum retorted, his sudden adrenaline rush already fading but he was still determined not to back down. "So I hope you've enjoyed your last day at KSU, because I'm going to make sure you're expelled before the sun rises tomorrow." He really wasn't sure if he could do that, but he was damn well going to try. He'd managed to get Coach B suspended for two months without pay earlier that semester, after all.

Hesitation flickered in the boy's eyes, and he took a step away from Dominic. Then his gaze hardened, and he glared at Callum. "You really expect me to believe that? You don't even look like -"

"If you don't believe him, then believe us."

Callum blinked, realizing that Soren and Claudia had appeared by his side.

"Professor Viren is our dad," Soren continued, "and we're going to tell him every single detail about your pathetic little stunt here today."

"Buh bye, transphobe!" Claudia said cheerfully with a little wave, though her tone didn't match the malice in her eyes. "It really wasn't nice knowing you."

James faltered at the onslaught of words, and his hesitation provided enough time for Dominic to push himself away and for the redheaded teacher to grab James by the arm and pull him off the stage before leading him out the classroom, presumably to some superior's office to file a Title VII report.

"Thank you," Ms. Secrest said. "I'm sorry you all had to witness that deplorable behavior." She turned to Dominic. "Especially you, honey. I should never have cast him in the first place."

Dominic offered her a sympathetic smile. "It's okay, Ms. Secrest. It's not your fault he was hiding so much bigotry inside of him."

She sighed. "Perhaps, but I still should have been paying closer attention to his behavior." She shook her head. "I'll be right back. I need to help Shannon fill out all that paperwork."

As she left, Dominic carefully stepped down off the stage, only to be immediately crushed in a hug by Emilé.

"Are you okay?" they asked frantically. "I'm so sorry I didn't say anything! It was most non-triumphant of me to remain silent while James was being such a jerk."

Dominic laughed as he returned the hug. "You're fine." He then shook his head in amusement. "Man, Felix is not going to be happy when he finds out about this. He was suspicious of James from the beginning. Like, he wanted to be at rehearsal today and everything, just in case something happened." He laughed again. "Guess I should have let him come after all!"

Emilé snickered. "Oh, Felix is _totally_ going to kill him."

"Ugh. Promise to help me stop him?"

"Whatever you need, dude!"

Callum felt a little awkward about just standing there. He'd already barged in on something that technically wasn't any of his business, though he supposed he had done the right thing by speaking up. Still, when Claudia had asked him to come jumpstart her and Soren's car, he definitely hadn't imagined his afternoon playing out like this.

Dominic then released Emilé, turning to face everyone else. "Thanks," he said, giving them all a wide smile. "That was really cool of you guys to step in."

"Well, we couldn't let the most talented member of the cast be ragged on by an asshat like that," Claudia said with a casual shrug. "And no one wants to work with human garbage like James, anyway."

Her deadpan expression earned laughter from Dominic. "Seriously. Thank you." He paused, then added, "And you guys don't _actually _have to tell your parents about him. I think the threat alone was intimidating enough, plus he's now going to have a report on his record."

Callum rolled his eyes. "We can't let him get away with that kind of bigotry. And to be honest, my dad would probably be more disappointed if I _kept _the incident from him."

"We're also telling our dad, whether he wants to hear it or not," Claudia affirmed, gesturing to herself and Soren. "We've got your back."

A wide grin broke out on Dominic's face. "Y'all are awesome." He offered his hand to Callum. "I don't think we've met before. I'm Dominic."

Callum shook his hand, returning his smile. "I'm Callum. It's nice to meet you."

And it was. _Obviously_. His mom would have been proud at how he kept expanding his circle of friends.

He was pretty proud of himself, too.

xXxXxXx

**Writing Emilé brings me so much serotonin. They're just a delight. And Dominic! I'm so excited for how his arc/narrative importance, in a sense, will play out in future chapters. I hope you enjoyed this update! See you next week!**


	26. answered prayers (but the answer is no)

**1\. The richest 1% of Americans own 35% of the nation's wealth, while the bottom 80% owns only 11%. See the disparity? Fact: many multimillionaires currently pay a ****_lower _****tax rate than the average US taxpayer. The rich avoid paying taxes by growing wealth through investments (to make their wages appear lower), selling their assets at strategic times, using business income loopholes (i.e. taxing business income under individual income tax rate rather than the corporate rate), using dynasty trusts (i.e. Trump's 2017 tax bill more than doubled the amount of assets that are exempt from the estate tax), and through tax havens (aka offshore bank accounts). The richest 1% is responsible for 70% of all unpaid taxes in the US. Trump is one of those people, having paid only $750 in taxes in 2016 and 2017. A household that earns between only $20,000 and $25,000 a year paid more than him ($1,131 in taxes). If you live in the US and are 18 and older, vote. Him. Out. (Condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram.)**

**Bonjour vous-autres! Quoi ça dit? Moi, ça peut faire. I survived another hurricane, lol. Didn't get much rain where I am, although part of our fence blew over. Other than that, no real damage done. Which means I'm able to deliver this update on time! Yay! This chapter has one of my favorite scenes in the entire fic, tbh, so I hope you enjoy reading it as much I did writing it. :)**

xXxXxXx

Because of the time difference between Xadia and Katolis, Rayla had informed him earlier that Runaan and Ethari would be available around eight, which was only five in Xadia. She suggested that they just have a small date night to pass the time until then, which Callum had immediately agreed to. They'd both been busy all week, to the point where they'd seen each other only in class or in passing. Rayla had even been forced to cancel their weekly homework session because of football practice, extended an extra hour despite it being the team's bye week. According to Rayla, Coach Zhou was still pissed that their bye week had been scheduled for _after_ the big game with Neolandia despite that he'd specifically requested it be before, and somehow that had translated into longer practices?

Callum didn't really understand.

But he _did_ understand that, well, he'd missed his girlfriend, and he was therefore more than willing to spare time that evening to be with her for a few extra hours before he was officially introduced to Runaan and Ethari.

Also, he was obsessively anxious about their upcoming meeting, which meant he did not at all mind the idea of being distracted by his amazing girlfriend for even just a few hours.

No, not _that_ kind of distraction. She had mentioned some sort of surprise, though.

Rayla showed up at his dorm exactly at six, a plastic grocery bag hanging from each arm. "Stress baking," she explained as she stepped inside. He locked the door behind her. "And also clean clothes to change into for when I inevitably get flour all over what I'm wearing."

"'Stress baking'?" Callum repeated, following her into the kitchen where she placed the two bags on the counter and began emptying out the one full of ingredients. "I didn't know you baked."

Rayla gave him a sideways glance as she pulled out a container of flour. "Like I said - only when I'm stressed. And only simple foods. Such as…" She placed a bag of chocolate chips on the counter. "Cookies!" She gave him a crooked, amused smile. "I'm grossly incompetent at pretty much anything else."

"Understood." He helped her finish unpacking the grocery bag full of ingredients for what was now obviously going to be chocolate chip cookies. He exhaled slowly. "So… Do you think the meeting with Runaan and Ethari is going to go… badly?"

Speaking for himself, Callum was extremely terrified. Besides his general anxiety around authority figures, he was also afraid that Runaan and Ethari wouldn't think he was worthy of Rayla. Which he supposed he technically wasn't, as humans did not _need_ a partner to function or to live a happy and fulfilling life, but still. They'd chosen each other. She'd chosen him. And hopefully Runaan and Ethari would see that, and it wouldn't matter to them that she was from Xadia and he was from Katolis.

Ugh. Was that just wishful thinking?

Rayla chewed her bottom lip. "I don't know," she admitted after a pause. "Runaan is more… traditional than Ethari, so he might give you a harder time."

Callum winced at the prospect. "Well, there's something to look forward to."

"Ethari will probably rein him in," Rayla hastily added, balling up the now-empty grocery bag and placing it on a side counter. "So I wouldn't worry about it too much."

He would worry regardless, but he appreciated her attempt at reassuring him. "Why don't you tell me a little about them?" he suggested after a pause, pulling out bowls, measuring cups, and assorted mixing utensils from cabinets. "That way I kind of have an idea of what they're like before they're formally introduced to me."

Rayla's eyes lit up. "Oh, that's brilliant!" She took her phone out of her back pocket, opening Google photos to show him a picture of herself with two tall, white-haired men. "That's Runaan, and that's Ethari," she said, pointing to each man respectively. "They've been married since _forever_, and they were my parents closest friends." The excitement in her voice made Callum smile. "Because my parents were away so much for business when I was little, I basically lived with them."

She placed her phone on the counter, tying her hair up with the ponytail holder around her wrist before washing her hands, Callum following suit. Er, the washing hands part. There wasn't much he could do with his hair.

"So they're like your second family," Callum mused, offering her a small smile. "All the more reason I need to make a good impression, then."

Rayla rolled her eyes. "It's not you I'm worried about, believe me." She switched the oven on to preheat it to the appropriate temperature. "The xenophobia in Katolis isn't exactly unreciprocated, you know? Tensions abound on both sides."

She wasn't wrong. "Well, what are some things Runaan and Ethari are interested in?" Callum asked after a moment of thought. "Maybe I have a hobby or two in common with them. And even if I don't, at least there will be something to fall back on if the conversation stalls or gets weirdly tense." He tore a sheet of parchment paper and began lining the baking pan with it, not trusting himself to measure and mix ingredients. With his luck, he'd probably end up putting in too much salt or forgetting the sugar. Cooking had always been simpler than baking to him, for some reason.

"Mm, good idea." Rayla measured out several cups of flour before pouring them into a mixing bowl. "Well, Runaan loves archery." She chuckled. "I feel like I've told you this before, but he tried to get me into archery when I was little, right?

He nodded.

"But since I'm rubbish with a bow and arrow, it was a doomed attempt from the start." Rayla smiled, shaking her head. "To give him credit, though, he didn't give up until I almost broke a metal flower Ethari made him and nearly shot my dad in the leg. By that point, my mom pretty much forced him to teach me something else."

Callum couldn't help but snort at the rather amusing mental image her story invoked. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you've told me that before, but I don't mind hearing it again." He chuckled. "You definitely sound like you were a wild child."

Rayla snickered as she poured another white ingredient - baking powder, he was pretty sure? - into the bowl of flour. "You have no idea. Because I was an only child, I was _constantly_ bouncing off the walls. Ethari liked to say that even with four adults in my life, it was still impossible to tire me out." She grinned at him. "I bet _you_ were a super calm child, though. People probably gushed over how mature you were."

Callum chuckled, passing his girlfriend the baking soda when she gestured to it. "Only if they didn't know me well. My mom was always worried about how shy I was. And then when my dad passed away, it got worse, you know?"

Rayla paused in her mixing, giving him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Callum. I didn't mean to bring up a heavy subject."

Callum waved his hand dismissively. "No worries. And I'm the one who technically brought it up, not you." He didn't remember much about his 'biological' dad, though Harrow kept a scrapbook for him full of pictures of the man. God, Harrow really was his dad as much as his mother's first husband had been. Callum suspected he'd never know how to fully express his gratitude. "Besides, when Ezran was born, my mom said my attitude changed completely because I wanted to be around him so much."

"Aw, that's adorable," Rayla cooed. "I can totally picture you trying to help a baby Ezran learn how to crawl and walk."

He couldn't stop himself from smiling at the thought. "Next time we go to my dad's house, remind me to show you pictures of me and Ez when we were little. You'd get a kick out of them." He winked at her. "But no princess pictures of me yet. You still haven't won the national championship." Then he shook his head. "Anyways. There was a point to this conversation." He passed her the container of salt and a tablespoon. "So. What's Ethari interested in?"

"Don't laugh," Rayla said, pouring the salt into her mixing bowl, "but he's a blacksmith."

Callum opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, not so much amused as he was utterly unprepared for her statement. "Oh," was all he managed to say in response.

Rayla chuckled. "I did tell you they were kind of old-fashioned." She slid the now-mixed dry ingredients aside, grabbing another bowl and the sugar. "Can you put the butter in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it?"

Callum did as instructed. "Honestly, being a blacksmith sounds pretty cool," he admitted as the microwave whirred behind him. "I guess some people might argue it's a bit on the unusual side, but that doesn't cancel out the coolness factor." The microwave beeped, and he took the butter out, sliding it across the counter to Rayla. She dumped it into the bowl with sugar and began mixing the two ingredients.

"Ethari actually made my switchblades," she said proudly. "Which, in my opinion, is why they're so balanced and have lasted so long."

Callum whistled. "Wow. That's amazing." He glanced at the baking instructions he'd pulled up on his phone before adding two teaspoons of vanilla into the bowl his girlfriend was mixing.

"Runaan and Ethari are perfect for each other," Rayla continued as she got two eggs out of the fridge, offering one to her boyfriend. They cracked them over the bowl in unison, which they couldn't help but grin at. "Ethari likes making different weapons, while Runaan sort of tests them out for him. He makes sure they're balanced and functional and whatnot before they're sold."

"Even more amazing." Callum waited for her to finish mixing the 'wet' ingredients before sliding the bowl of dry ones towards her. She proceeded to combine the two. He added the chocolate chips a minute or so later, accepting the whisk from his girlfriend and mixing them in himself. "My dad says that he and my mom would spar in their free time before and after they got together. And that my mom usually beat him."

Rayla snickered as she took some chocolate chips out of the bag and ate them. "I feel like we could achieve a similar dynamic, if we so desired."

Callum snorted, though he didn't stop mixing the cookie dough. "Because you have a million hours of experience and I have less than five minutes?" If he even had _that_ much.

Rayla burst out laughing. "Okay, so it'd be a bit of an unfair fight," she teased, moving closer to his left side rather than his right to avoid getting hit with his elbow. "But it'd be a pretty funny fight, at least."

"If you're fighting anyone for practice, it's gonna be Soren, not me," Callum declared, swiping some of the dough out of the bowl and smearing it across her cheek. "His wrestling versus your martial arts. The ultimate showdown."

Rayla rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she wiped the dough off of her face with a paper towel before moving to the sink to wash her hands. Callum soon followed suit. "That would be an interesting matchup," she mused. "Remind me to ask Soren about it." She paused. "_After_ football season ends."

Callum laughed. "Will do." They returned back to the bowl of cookie dough, Rayla showing him the correct size to roll it into before placing each down on the baking tray. "Speaking of football season," he continued, "isn't there a lot of talk about KSU being championship-bound this year?" He was fairly out of the loop with all things sports-related, but he made an effort to keep up with football news for Rayla. But even if that hadn't been something he did, he was still very aware simply from being on campus that KSU was having its best year in arguably over a decade.

"Yep," Rayla affirmed, placing another ball of dough onto the baking pan. "They're calling us the 'Team of Destiny' and ridiculous stuff like that, since supposedly we have a mixture of new and old talent on the team, aka me and Soren, being utilized to its fullest extent. Or something similarly obnoxious." A small, nervous smile crept onto her lips. "It's gratifying but also a little scary, because there's so much pressure on all of us to succeed."

"Do _you_ think you'll make it to the championship?" he found himself asking. Talk was great, sure, but the only opinion he really cared about was… well, Rayla's.

And for tonight, also Runaan and Ethari's.

Rayla pursed her lips. "Well, I don't want to jinx us," she pointed out. "So I'd say… based on the skill sets our team has and the talents of our coaching staff, there is no reason that we aren't _capable _of making it to the championship."

Callum nodded. Her words seemed like a fair enough assessment. "I know there's also been a lot of attention put on you and Soren, specifically, because you two work so well together on the field."

Rayla grimaced, pausing her shaping of the dough in her hands. "Yeah. Right now the latest craze is that we're both doing a ton of steroids. It's annoying as hell."

"Tabloids will make up anything if it means a dramatic headline, I guess. Besides." He placed his final ball of cookie dough on the pan, the bowl now emptied, before lightly poking his girlfriend's bicep. "We all know you're ridiculously strong already, no performance-enhancing drugs required."

Rayla laughed - a sound he loved to hear - and placed her own final piece of cookie dough onto the baking tray. "I know you're just saying that to flatter me, but…" She winked at him as she slid the baking tray into the oven, casually flexing her free arm as she set a timer on her phone for nine minutes. "Do it more."

That would not be a problem.

As they began cleaning up the kitchen, Callum realized - much to his disappointment - that they'd made virtually no mess. "Aw," he said, pouting. "We didn't get to have a cliché food fight moment while we were baking. Like in a cheesy romcom." Which he knew existed because of Harrow, who loved a good bad romantic comedy.

Rayla gave him an amused look as she scrubbed the mixing bowl clean in the sink before handing it to him to dry. "You're more than welcome to start a food fight with me, but I assure you that I_ will_ win and I _will_ make you responsible for wiping everything down after the fact."

Fair enough.

"You know what, I think I'm good," he said with a sheepish grin, drying the bowl before placing it aside to be returned to its cabinet later. "There's a reason romcoms are known to set unrealistic expectations for relationships."

Rayla snickered. "Yeah. They never show the cleanup that happens afterward, do they?" She handed him a set of measuring cups that she'd finished rinsing out. "If you want a cheesy romcom moment that badly, though, you could always feed me a cookie or something."

Callum could feel his face turning red at the thought. "Uh…"

Rayla's snickering turned into full-on laughter. "God, you're so cute," she wheezed, wiping tears from her eyes with the crook of her elbow, as her hands were covered in soap suds. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

He didn't know what he'd do without her, either, and he told her as much, though he knew he was still blushing up to the tips of his ears. After that, a peaceful silence fell, the only sounds being the running water as Rayla continued to clean the dishes and the towel rubbing against them as he dried each one off.

Callum was tempted to broach the subject of the exchange program to her, but decided that then… it wasn't the right time. For one, the application period wouldn't officially open for another week or so. Mainly, however, he still wasn't certain of his _own _thoughts on the matter, and he didn't want to place that kind of stress on his girlfriend while she was probably freaking out internally about their upcoming video call with Runaan and Ethari. She had enough on her plate already.

"So," Rayla said, breaking the silence as she cleaned the last dish and switched off the water, "do you have any plans for the week off?"

Callum blinked and temporarily stopped drying the bowl in his hands. "Oh, wow." He shook his head, face reddening in embarrassment. "I may have forgotten that this week was fall break." He'd been preoccupied with thoughts of schoolwork - he'd had a major physics exam that covered three units - and of course the meeting with Runaan and Ethari. Plus, finals were now only about a month away.

Huh. They really did have an entire week off, didn't they?

"Not really, I guess," he finally said with a shrug, drying the last of the dishes before moving to begin putting them all away. "There's the art showcase on Friday, but I think that's it, to be honest."

Rayla's jaw dropped, and she spun a full 90 degrees to her right to face him. "The art showcase is _next week_ and you didn't tell me?!" She grabbed a sharpie out of a cup from the back of the countertop and scribbled a note on her wrist. "I have to file that as a conflict with Coach Zhou! Soren will, too!"

Callum flushed. "You don't _need_ to go. It's just going to be a bunch of art students standing next to their works hung on the wall after a speech or two from guest speakers. And possibly refreshments."

Rayla gave him a dubious look. "Callum. You have come to _every_ home game so far. If you don't think I'm going to the showcase, then you obviously don't know me at all."

Callum could feel his expression softening, and on instinct he pulled his girlfriend into a tight hug. "I love you so much."

He was fairly certain he could feel Rayla's heart skip a beat in her chest before she returned the hug. "You're such a sap," she said, amused, though he knew she was smiling even without seeing her face. "I love you, too."

Callum was pretty sure this moment called for a kiss, but before he could put this plan into action, the timer on Rayla's phone went off, ringing loudly to inform them that the cookies were done. Never before had he been so disappointed at the prospect of eating freshly-baked goods.

Rayla smirked at him as she pulled out of the hug, as if she knew exactly what he'd been thinking. "Later, sad prince," she said, tapping his nose before moving to take the cookies out the oven. "Anyways," she continued after placing the pan on the stove to cool, "is the art showcase a formal thing? Because if it is, Claudia's going to have to take me shopping, because I don't think I packed anything nice enough when I left Xadia."

Callum frowned, turning the oven off but leaving it a crack open to air out and cool. "I think it's a semi-formal event, but don't hold me to that." He shrugged. "I'll forward you the email with all the information whenever they get around to sending it to me."

She chuckled. "Much appreciated. Thank you."

They let the cookies cool for a few minutes before each taking one, and _wow _\- they were seriously good. He made a mental note to save the link to that recipe on his phone for the future. Ezran would love them.

"So, we still have about two and a half hours before our… meeting," Rayla said as she finished off her cookie, checking the time on her phone. "What do you say we order some takeout and rent a movie?"

Callum grinned at her. "Sounds perfect to me."

And although they mock-debated about what to order and what to watch, they were both completely content with getting pizza and renting _Iron Man_. Not to mention the cuddling that was an inevitable aspect of sitting on the couch together. That said, since _Iron Man _was such an iconic movie, neither of them took their eyes off the screen for longer than a few seconds at a time. Which meant any kissing was again postponed for a later moment.

The movie ended with about ten minutes to spare, and Callum cleared away their plates and cups while Rayla hastily set up her laptop before darting into the bathroom to change into, quote, "something more presentable than my dingy sweatpants and tank top." She did reassure him that _his _outfit was completely fine, at least.

About two minutes before eight, Rayla returned, now dressed in jeggings and a violet blouse. She'd also put on her silver crescent moon earrings.

"You look great," Callum said as she sat down on the couch next to him, relieved that his voice didn't crack.

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you, my prince." She tapped the mousepad on her laptop to turn the screen back on, giving it a moment to properly wake up before tapping 'call'. "Ready?" she asked, taking his hand and squeezing it.

He managed a weak chuckle. "Ready as I'll ever be."

The loading symbol appeared on the screen, and Callum's grip tightened on Rayla's hand. She didn't comment on it. Seconds later, the symbol disappeared, replaced by a remarkably high-quality video of two white-haired men that Callum recognized as Runaan and Ethari sitting on a dark blue couch.

"Hi, Runaan! Hi, Ethari!" Rayla said with a wave, sounding more confident than he knew she was. He also knew that he himself probably could not pull off such confidence, real or otherwise, though he'd still try. "I'd like you both to meet Callum."

He waved and gave them as genuine a smile as he could muster. "Hi. It's nice to meet you guys."

"He's the one I've been telling you about," Rayla continued, the tension in her shoulders gradually lessening as she began to relax into the flow of the conversation. "He was my first friend at KSU, and we've been together about…" She tilted her head, evidently going over how much time had passed in her mind.

"A little over three months," Callum supplied, and Rayla smiled at him.

"Yep. Three months." She took a deep breath. "So… I just wanted you guys to meet. And talk, I guess. Get to know each other." She looked expectantly at her… Guardians? Uncles? Parents? Callum wasn't really sure how to classify them.

"Rayla has told us a little bit about you," the one Callum recognized as Ethari finally said. "But it'd be nice to hear information from yourself. What are you studying at KSU?"

"I'm a physics major," Callum replied, almost surprised at how level his voice sounded to his ears. It helped that Rayla was still holding his hand. "Although because I'm just a freshman, my stepdad keeps reminding me that I might change my major and that he'll be supportive of whatever I do." He smiled. "Harrow means well, but I feel pretty confident that physics is what I want to study."

Ethari chuckled. "I understand. Rayla knew from her junior year of high school that she wanted to be an English major."

Rayla shrugged. "What can I say? I know myself."

There was a brief pause, and Callum hesitated before continuing. "Um… I'm also minoring in art. Although I've recently been thinking about upping it to a dual degree."

Rayla's eyes widened, and she beamed at him. "I didn't know that! That's awesome, Callum."

He flushed. "It's not guaranteed or anything. I'm still talking it over with my advisor." Having two majors with such different requirements wouldn't be easy, though he was leaning towards the feeling that it'd be worth it.

"Interesting combination," Runaan said, speaking for the first time in the call. "Don't you think that could be… difficult to manage?"

Callum wasn't sure if the question was well-intentioned or condescending. Based on the way Rayla's shoulders stiffened, he had a feeling it was the latter. But he was determined to keep his cool. "That's what my advisor is warning me about," he answered honestly. "But he also thinks that if it's something I'm truly passionate about, then it's a path worth considering."

Runaan said nothing in response, and he sat so still that Callum briefly wondered if the video had frozen.

Ethari ended up breaking the silence, placing his hand on his husband's knee. "So. Rayla. How is football going? We've watched most of your games on TV, but the season is coming to a close soon, isn't it?"

Rayla hesitated, but then appeared to relax, as if she'd pushed Runaan's… stiff attitude to the back of her mind. "Yes," she said with a smile and a nod. "We have four regular season games left. If we win all of those, we're basically guaranteed the number one seat in the playoffs, which I think are played after New Year's. If we win our playoff game, we'll play in the championship around the end of January."

Ethari nodded. "In other words, there's a lot coming up?"

Rayla laughed. "I mean, I don't want to get ahead of myself. We have to finish the regular season strong before any of that can happen."

Ethari glanced at Runaan, who made no move to acknowledge his husband. Callum was starting to get the feeling that Runaan did not like him. He just wasn't sure if it was because he was from Katolis or if the man… didn't appreciate his vibes. Or something.

Ugh. Callum was not a people person.

Ethari sighed so quietly it was nearly imperceptible before he turned back to face the camera. "Well, Rayla, Runaan and I have a surprise for you," he said with a small smile, excitement glittering in his brown eyes. "He wanted to wait a few weeks to tell you, but I don't see a better time than now."

Rayla raised an eyebrow, though Callum didn't miss the eager smile tugging at the corners of her lips. It was adorable. "Really? What are you two plotting?"

Ethari's grin widened. "We have absolute faith that you will lead your team to the championship, so Runaan and I bought tickets to fly in and watch the game in person!"

Rayla gasped. "No way. Really?! You're serious?!" She glanced at Callum, as if she couldn't believe what they'd said was true.

Callum laughed at the disbelief written on her features. "I think they are."

Rayla turned back to her computer, where Ethari was staring at her with an amused smile. Runaan's expression still appeared flat, but Callum was pretty sure he could see a glimmer of happiness in the man's eyes.

"This is - oh my God, I'm so excited! This is the best surprise ever!" She beamed at them. "I can't wait. And I promise I won't disappoint you. KSU will make it to the championship, and we will win. I guarantee it."

Callum had no doubt that Rayla would follow through.

"Callum," Runaan said after a pause, slowly crossing his arms over his chest. "I've been wondering… What was it that made you become friends with Rayla? And how that relationship… transformed into one of a romantic nature."

Callum could feel his face growing red at the sudden change of topic, and he glanced at Rayla, whose cheeks were also dusted with a rosy pink.

"Runaan, do you really need to ask that?" she muttered, glaring at the man. "Seriously."

"I am merely curious, Rayla," was Runaan's calm response. "Callum? Care to shed light on your story, as it were?"

Callum opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, feeling entirely at a loss for words. His gut told him there was a wrong way to answer this question - he just wasn't sure what that _or _the right way was. And he did not want to end up on Runaan's bad side. At least, no more than he already was. He didn't even need Runaan to _like_ him. Just to… to tolerate him.

Also, he didn't want to become a source of tension between Rayla and Runaan. That would be… well, 'awful' was an understatement, but it was the only word his mind could come up with. Not to mention it wouldn't be fair for Rayla to feel like she had to choose between them.

"I met her at a sort of… schoolwide meeting," he finally said. "When she first arrived. My dad - er, Professor Harrow - introduced her to the school and explained the exchange program and stuff. Afterwards, me and my friend Claudia went up to talk to her because we knew most of the other kids here would be, uh… less than friendly to her, so we thought -"

"So you chose to approach her out of pity?" Runaan interrupted, an eyebrow raised. "An odd basis to form a friendship, much less a friendship that grew to be something more."

Callum was certain his face had turned crimson to the tips of his ears, though he couldn't be sure if it was a result of anger or embarrassment. Possibly both.

"Runaan," Rayla snapped, her grip on Callum's hand tightening, "that is so unnecessary. Please don't make me cut this call short. Callum has been nothing but polite to you, and I'd appreciate it if you could at least return that same courtesy."

"It was merely an observation," was Runaan's cool reply. "Surely you don't expect me to lower my standards simply because he's from Katolis, do you?" His expression shifted to something closer to a sneer. "Though perhaps for that exact reason, I have no choice."

"Aargh!" Rayla pinched the bridge of her nose. "I - we - no. We don't have to put up with this. We don't." She gestured between herself and Callum. "Callum is my boyfriend. He's my _best_ friend. He loves me, and I love him. He - He makes me _happy_."

Her voice cracked. It was so raw and painful that Callum snapped out of his stupor, having initially been paralyzed by Runaan's acidic tone.

"Isn't that enough?" Rayla asked quietly, her voice edged with sorrow.

Silence fell, the tension so thick that Callum felt like he was suffocating. The conversation had spiraled downhill exactly the way he'd feared, and he didn't have a clue how to guide it back on track. Much less did he know how to comfort Rayla, which pained him most of all.

Runaan stood and walked out of the video frame.

"Of course," Rayla said, her voice and body stiff. "What else should I have expected from him?"

Ethari had started to reach after his husband, but at Rayla's words he turned back to the camera. "He just worries about you, Rayla," he said, eyes filled with sympathy. "You know how hard it was for him to let you participate in this program in the first place, since it meant you'd be away - alone - an entire year. He's afraid of you feeling forced to grow up without him there to support you. And sometimes his worry is expressed in… not the best of ways." His gaze shifted to Callum, and Callum found himself flinching beneath it, causing Ethari to sigh. "I'm sorry. To both of you. Runaan will come around, I promise. Just - Just give him time."

"Yeah," Rayla agreed bitterly. "Sure. He can have as much time as he needs. Whatever."

Callum could only squeeze her hand, moving to sit closer to her.

Ethari looked like he wanted to say more, but something in him seemed to decide against it. "We love you, Rayla. Talk to you soon."

"Bye," Rayla said miserably, and the video disconnected.

Callum had never felt more helpless. He let go of her hand to slowly close her computer before turning back to place his hand on her shoulder. "Hey…" he said slowly, though he winced when she pulled away. "You… alright?"

She stood up from the couch, crossing to the other side of the room. Her back was to him, but he could see the way her arms were wrapped around herself. "I can't _believe_ him," she finally said, her voice laced with venom. "Of all the selfish, bigoted, completely jackass things to say -"

Before Callum realized what was happening, Rayla threw a violent punch into the wooden doorframe that led out of the room, and he found himself praying that the deafening crack he heard next was not the sound of bones breaking.

"Rayla!" he exclaimed, his heart leaping into his throat when he saw blood on her knuckles. He ran in front of her, grabbing her wrists and holding them tightly even as she tried to pull away. "You can be angry. You can be frustrated. Shout and scream and - and whatever you need to do, but _please_." His voice cracked, and he pulled her hands to his chest. "Don't hurt yourself."

Rayla stared at him for a moment. Then the cloud of rage in her eyes faded, almost immediately replaced by grief. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed, and they slowly sank down to the floor together, Rayla burying her face in Callum's shoulder as he clutched her to himself as tightly as he could.

"You don't need to apologize for anything," he whispered, fighting back tears of his own.

"No. You shouldn't have had to see any of that," she said into his shoulder, her voice muffled. "And - And you shouldn't have to see _me _like this."

He frowned. "What?"

He could feel her move closer to him. "A mess," she admitted. Her voice was less tearful, if still quiet. "Getting unfairly… stupidly upset." A half-laugh, half-sob escaped her lips. "And I might have cracked your doorframe. I know I got blood on it."

Callum gently pulled away to look her in the eyes, keeping one hand on her waist and moving the other to cup her face. "I don't give two shits about the door," he said seriously, relieved to note that his words achieved the desired result - her laughter. He used his thumb to brush away tears from beneath her eye. "And I don't care if you're a mess. We're all a mess sometimes. Plus, you had every reason to be upset about what happened." He winced. "And… I'm sorry that I didn't do anything but sit there."

Rayla placed a hand on top of his that held her face. "You have nothing to apologize for," she said, echoing his own words from earlier. "I should have given you more warning about how Runaan might act, or at least told _him _more about you and how we got together -"

"No," he cut her off. "I still should have spoken up. It was wrong of me to - to sit in shock while you bore the burden of the tension." And his silence had in no way helped him make a good first impression, he was sure.

Rayla took a deep, shuddering breath, closing her eyes as she leaned into his hand that still cupped her face. "I love you," she whispered.

A strangled mix of laughter and crying escaped Callum's lips, and he pulled his girlfriend into another hug. "I love you, too," he breathed into her hair, holding her as close as possible, almost afraid she'd disappear if he didn't.

Maybe… Maybe applying to the exchange program in Xadia wasn't such a good idea after all.

xXxXxXx

**CALL ME A PROPHET but I wrote this chapter back in like,, June. And Callum says to Rayla in this final scene, "We're all a mess sometimes." Which is pretty much an EXACT quote from Callum to Rayla in ****_Through the Moon_****, a graphic novel released only this month (which you should all read if you haven't already; I absolutely loved it and it made me even more excited for season 4). If that's not an indication that I connect to Callum on an innate spiritual level, idk what is. So yeah, call me a prophet because I totally predicted that line, lmao. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Au revoir, plus tard, see you next week!**


	27. an unexpected guest

**1\. With early voting for the 2020 US Presidential Election having already started, let's break down voter suppression. Since 2010, half the states in the nation have placed new burdens on people's right to vote, aided by the Supreme Court striking down part of the Voting Rights Act in 2013. Forms of voter suppression include: voter ID laws (without a meaningful backup if someone fails to produce an ID), polling location closures/moves (without informing constituents), voter purges ("updates" to registration lists that may remove someone if they missed even one election), and voter registration restrictions (e.g. strict ID requirements, early voting cutbacks, etc.). Felony disenfranchisement is also a major issue; over 6.1 million Americans are ineligible to vote because of felonies. Furthermore, in 2017, Georgia created an "exact match" law that mandated voters' names on registration records had to perfectly match their names on their approved IDs. 80% of people affected were people of color. ****_This is not a coincidence._**** Voter suppression must be fought. Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act must be restored. Polling place closures must be limited, and if they occur, voters must be informed in advance. Felony disenfranchisement, unfairly strict ID laws, and voter purges must be stopped. Demand action from your elected officials. And in this upcoming election? Vote blue, straight down the ticket. (Condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram.)**

**Bonjour vous-autres! I finally finished my first round of midterms (I have another in like,, two weeks,, but let's not think about that lmao). I really don't have much to say today other than that I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

xXxXxXx

The incident with Runaan and Ethari had been… disheartening, to say the least. Arguably unnerving. Definitely painful. Callum had remained on the floor with Rayla for close to ten minutes, and afterwards he had cleaned and wrapped his girlfriend's bloodied knuckles with bandages he'd found in a cabinet beneath his bathroom sink. They didn't talk about Runaan or Ethari for the rest of the night.

Rayla had informed him two days later that she'd nearly given Soren and Coach Zhou a heart attack when she'd shown up at the first football practice of the week with a bandaged hand. She'd also told him their reactions had been _hilarious_, even if she'd felt a little bad in the moment. Apparently Soren had passed the news on to Claudia - they were both staying with their dad over fall break - which had resulted in Claudia promptly texting Rayla in a panic to make sure she was okay. But her scratches and bruises were fully healed within a few days, much to the relief of everyone concerned about football. Including Rayla, who perhaps wanted KSU to make it to the championship most of all.

Now Callum was on his way to pick up his girlfriend from her dorm, as his dad had arranged reservations for the three of them - plus Ezran - at a nice restaurant. Harrow's excuse was that Rayla had not undergone the formal 'be introduced to her partner's parents at dinner' scenario. Which was true, sure, but Callum was well aware that the real reason was his stepdad simply wanting to check in on all of them. Ezran had a big presentation coming up in school after the break, Rayla was obviously nearing the end of the regular football season, and Callum himself had the art showcase Friday. Also known as… tomorrow.

He was not at all freaking out about the fact. Of course not! He was _super_ chill. Completely unstressed.

Yeah, no. He'd never been great at convincing himself.

He knew, deep down, that the art showcase wasn't _really_ a big deal. It was just an opportunity for people - mostly parents - to wander through different rooms filled with all the works selected for presentation. Artists would stand by their pieces and explain their inspiration or provide interesting facts about their art if so requested by attendees. Callum loathed the idea of having to interact with strangers, but at the very least he'd be talking about his art. He was grateful that he wasn't a senior, because some of the seniors whose pieces had been accepted were required by their professors to give speeches at the opening of the showcase.

_His_ professor had congratulated him and given him ten bonus points for having his work accepted before calling it a day. Callum loved him.

Harrow was actually giving the final speech at the showcase - to conclude the introduction, or something equally ridiculous-sounding - and although Callum had made him _swear _not to mention him, he hadn't missed the glint of mischief in his stepfather's eyes. A glint he recognized all too well from Ezran's expressions.

Ugh. Ez was _way _too similar to their dad.

Callum turned his car into the parking lot of Rayla's dorm at exactly 6:30, as they'd arranged that morning. And sure enough, his girlfriend was already waiting for him outside, her phone in hand.

"Punctual as always," she teased as she climbed into the passenger seat. "You're the only person I can trust to _actually_ come at the time you say you will."

Callum pressed a button to his left to lock the car, chuckling at her comment. "I've found Sonya to be pretty punctual, too."

"Ah, you say that now," Rayla chided, briefly glancing down at her phone as it buzzed in her hands before returning her focus to him, "but she's been spending a lot of time with Claudia lately, so Claudia's tendency to be 'fashionably late' might rub off on her."

He snickered. "What, you think it's contagious?"

"I think contagion is not a possibility to be discounted so easily."

Callum shook his head and started to take his car out of park, but paused, instead turning back to face his girlfriend. He needed a moment to appreciate her appearance.

Rayla wasn't someone who was _opposed_ to dressing up - she simply prioritized comfort over style. Which didn't mean, of course, that she couldn't enjoy fancier attire every now and then. Claudia had gushed to Callum numerous times about how Rayla allowed her to experiment with different hairstyles and makeup on her.

Tonight she wore a short-sleeved, black crop top and high-waisted, white slacks, leaving just a sliver of skin visible between. He'd long since learned to stop asking if she was cold, because apparently Rayla was immune to chilly weather. He was incredibly envious of that ability.

"Why are you staring at me?" Rayla said, amused, halfway through typing a text.

"Am I not allowed to admire my beautiful girlfriend?" Callum teased in response. "How you wound me."

Rayla rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. "Of course you can, dummy." She tapped the clock on the dashboard. "But not if it makes us late."

Callum laughed. "Touché." He took his car out of park, looking over his shoulder as he backed out and turned around before pulling onto the road. "Still." He briefly glanced at his girlfriend, giving her a warm smile. "You look amazing."

Rayla blushed, one hand releasing her phone to reach up and finger the black ribbon tied around her ponytail. "Really? You don't think it's too much?"

"Definitely not," he assured her. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you could wear a potato sack and still be the most beautiful person in the entire restaurant."

Rayla snickered as she lightly shoved his shoulder, though she made sure not to hinder his driving. "You're just saying that because you're my boyfriend. But thank you." She winked at him. "You don't look too bad yourself. Red is a good color on you."

They'd been dating for months and the simplest compliment from her could still get him flustered. God, he was _so_ in love with her.

Callum stammered out a 'thank you' before focusing fully on the road as he drove up to a difficult intersection. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Rayla had gone back to whatever message she was typing.

"Oh, you can put on music if you want," he said after a pause upon pulling up to a red light. He signed into his phone before offering it to her.

"Thanks," she said with a quick smile, accepting the device and placing it on her lap as she continued to text on her own phone.

Callum didn't really know how to feel about her constant texting during the drive to the restaurant. Obviously, he didn't think she was - she was _cheating_ on him, or anything else so obnoxiously stupid. He was more confused than anything, because Rayla was often adamantly against being on her phone when she was with company. Unless everyone else was on their phones, of course.

Rayla must have noticed the way his gaze kept flickering between her and the road, because she sighed and offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Claudia created a group chat for our calculus class to start sharing study materials for the final, and it's already getting kind of crazy."

Finals were less than a month away now - closer to being only three weeks, actually - so her explanation was not implausible. Far from it, really. Completely believable.

Yet… Callum wasn't sure he _did _believe her. It seemed like she was hiding something. He doubted it was anything _bad_ or serious, but nonetheless, his curiosity was piqued. That said, he wasn't going to pester her into revealing the truth. He trusted her to tell him whenever she was ready.

"No worries," he said, turning as the light changed to green. "I get it. Group chats are a hassle." He gave her a crooked smile. "Have you considered muting it?"

Rayla laughed. "Many times, trust me. But I swear it isn't normally this bad." She swiped down from the top of the screen, tapping at something before turning her phone off and slipping it into her pocket. "No more distractions, though. Tonight is about spending time with you, Ez, and Professor Harrow." She grimaced. "That last one makes it sound weirder than it is."

Callum burst out laughing. "Don't think about it too hard and you'll be fine."

"Yeah. That's probably for the best." She shook her head. "Anyways." She gave him a knowing smirk. "So… You excited for the art showcase tomorrow? It's finally here!"

Callum had to fight down a shudder as anxiety surged through him. "Er… 'terrified' might be more accurate," he admitted. They were getting close to the restaurant now. "I don't do well in the spotlight."

Rayla gave him a concerned look. "Do you have to do any public speaking?"

"Oh, no. Nothing _that_ bad." He chewed his bottom lip, turning onto the street that would take them to the restaurant. "I just… the idea of there being attention on me, even if it's 'good' attention, is still less than ideal. On a personal level."

Rayla nodded in understanding. "Got it. Are you sure you don't want me to head there early with you?" she offered. "I know I can convince Coach Zhou to let me out of practice -"

"No, you're fine," he interrupted. "You and Soren both need to be at every practice for as long as possible because you're so close to the end of the regular season. Besides, Claudia already said she can go with me early and will stick by my side for 90% of the showcase, so it's not like I'll be alone. I just…" He sighed. "Get stressed easily."

Rayla looked like she was contemplating further debate with him, but instead nodded a second time. "As long as you're sure." She gave him a comforting smile. "And for the record, it's all going to work out fine. Everyone there is going to be super impressed by your piece and they'll all realize in seconds that you're the most talented artist at KSU."

Callum could feel the blood rushing to his face at her compliment. "You're just saying that because you're my girlfriend," he said as he turned into the restaurant's parking lot.

She smirked at him. "But…?"

He sighed dramatically as he stole the spot next to the gray SUV he recognized as Harrow's. "But I love it, and you should do it more."

She laughed, leaning over to kiss his cheek as he put his car into park and removed the key from the ignition. "Not a problem."

They stepped out of the car at the same time, Callum locking it before putting his key in his pocket while Rayla walked around the front of the vehicle to join him, taking his left hand in her right.

Ezran and Harrow were waiting for them outside the restaurant, sitting next to each other on a metal bench. Ezran jumped to his feet when he caught sight of them approaching.

"Hey, guys!" he called with a cheery smile. "Over here!"

Callum was tempted to roll his eyes at his brother's eagerness, while Rayla appeared to find it endearing. Maybe that was why Ezran chose to pull Rayla into a hug while giving Callum the stink eye.

"It's great to see you again, Rayla," Harrow said with a warm smile, standing up from the bench. "Last time was… Ezran's birthday party, I believe?"

Rayla chuckled, returning Ezran's hug before turning to face Harrow. "Yes sir. Although Callum told me you watched the big game against Neolandia on TV, so I argue that halfway counts."

Harrow laughed. "Sure. That makes me feel like a more active presence in your life, since you're my future daughter-in-law and all -"

"And that is not a topic that needs expansion!" Callum interrupted, probably louder than necessary. Ugh. He'd known his dad would tease, but marriage? Really? They'd been together three months. "Let's get inside before we miss our reservations."

Harrow managed to cover his laughter with a series of coughs. "Yes. Right. Let's get inside."

Callum slipped his hand into Rayla's again, ignoring Ezran's delighted smirk and shrugging when Rayla sent him an inquiring look. He probably should have warned her about the incessant teasing they'd both have to endure over the course of the evening, but… Oh well. She'd pick up on it soon. If she hadn't already.

They entered the restaurant, and Callum was silently relieved to note that while people were indeed dressed nicely, it was nowhere near formal, so they weren't out of place. He'd been vaguely concerned that his stepdad had misread the description, but it seemed his fears were unfounded.

Rayla was nervous - he could tell because her shoulders were hunched forward some, making her appear smaller than she was. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze, and she relaxed, at least a little bit.

Harrow named their reservations to the hostess, who jotted something down on a notepad before leading them to a table near one of the corners of the room. Rayla's grip tightened on Callum's hand every time a shocked or disgusted stare was directed her way, but most diners seemed to mind their own business.

"Your waiter will be here momentarily," the hostess said, placing a menu in front of each of them before taking her leave when another group of people entered the restaurant.

They all looked over their menus, Rayla every now and then asking a question about an item when she didn't recognize a food. If Callum was totally honest, there were a few things he didn't recognize, either. He didn't exactly frequent upscale restaurants.

Because the place wasn't terribly crowded, given that it was a Thursday evening, they were able to get their orders in quickly and receive their drinks within a few minutes. Harrow had mandated that Ezran get water if he wanted dessert, much to Ezran's disappointment and Callum and Rayla's amusement. They had, of course, proceeded to get water with him in solidarity.

"So. Rayla," Harrow began. "What have you been up to lately? I know there's only three or four games left until the postseason."

Callum had to bite back a laugh at the way his girlfriend's eyes lit up as his stepdad mentioned football. Her passion was beyond endearing.

"Correct," she said with a nod. "Four games left until the playoffs, which we _should_ be first or second pick for. It depends on if we win our last games and how difficult the CFP determines our schedule to have been."

Harrow raised an eyebrow. "_Has_ KSU's schedule been particularly difficult this year?"

Rayla chuckled. "According to Claudia and Soren, yes. We've played more ranked teams than any other school."

"Which means that if you close out the year undefeated, you'll be basically guaranteed the top spot in the playoff rankings?" Ezran asked.

Rayla beamed at him. "Exactly! And that would be ideal, because then we'd be playing the bottom team in the CFP. Not that we'd be certain to beat them, but in theory it'd be easier."

"What if the fourth-ranked team is Neolandia? Unless they lose another game before the end of the regular season, KSU will be their only loss. And I doubt the CFP wants that matchup again."

Rayla made a sound like a disappointed hum. "Yeah, that's what Coach Zhou is worried about. But still. If we win the rest of our games, we should be ranked first or second. That's the best we can hope for."

"Well, we can also hope that Neolandia loses another game before the end of the season, that way they won't be in playoff contention at all," Ezran pointed out.

Their conversation was proof, in Callum's opinion, that Ezran had been spending _way _too much time with Claudia. His own understanding of football and the playoffs was still pretty limited to a game-by-game basis, and it could often be summarized as 'cheer for KSU, specifically for Rayla and Soren'.

Okay, maybe it wasn't so surprising that Ezran had already surpassed him in knowledge.

"If KSU makes it to the championship _and_ wins it this year, that will be historic for numerous reasons," Harrow said after taking a sip of his water. "For one, it will be KSU's first championship victory since… 1958, I believe. But more importantly, it will be symbolic of cooperation between Katolis and Xadia on a non-political level."

Rayla nodded, absentmindedly stirring her straw in her glass. "Yep. Although I feel like media coverage will drag politics in, anyways."

Callum snorted. "I wouldn't doubt it."

"Speaking of Xadia," Harrow began, "has Callum told you about the progr-"

"Oh, look! Our food is here!" Callum interrupted loudly, earning a dirty look from the table to their left.

Rayla's attention was soon focused on helping the waiter pass out their plates, since she was closest to the edge of the table. Callum seized the moment to send his stepdad a stern frown, hastily signing to him, "Not yet!" because he couldn't think of another way to communicate without his girlfriend noticing. He fully planned on talking to Rayla about the exchange program, he did, he just… hadn't gotten around to it yet. His less-than-positive meeting with Runaan and Ethari still rubbed raw.

Harrow's eyes widened in understanding, and he quickly gave Callum an affirmative nod.

"Were you asking me something, Professor Harrow?" Rayla asked once they'd all gotten their food and the waiter had left. "I think I missed the end of your question."

Harrow cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. Right. I was just wondering… if you miss Xadia?"

Well… Not the worst cover-up Callum had ever heard.

Rayla blinked. "Oh. I mean, definitely. Xadia is my home, and sometimes I'll get a little homesick when I wake up and I'm not in my own bed. But it's not like I haven't been talking with my friends and family there." She chuckled. "To be honest, though, I think I may have made _more_ friends here than I ever did back at the Silvergrove."

Callum had a feeling her situation had to do with the circumstances surrounding her parents' deaths, but he knew it wasn't his place to comment.

"Do you think one day _we_ could go to Xadia?" Ezran asked, pausing with a forkful of noodles halfway to his mouth. "Because that would be super cool."

Rayla beamed at his question. "I'd love for all of you to come visit Xadia! Soren and Claudia, too, if their dad would let them. There's so many things I could show you in person. The things that pictures don't really do justice to."

Ezran sent Callum a knowing look, and Callum was suddenly hit with the realization that his brother had asked that question solely to get the gist of Rayla's preliminary reaction to the exchange program.

Damn. His little brother was good.

"Anyways," Rayla said with a wave of her hand, "I think that's enough about me. Ez, how's high school going for you? You're almost halfway through your first year now, right?"

Ezran wrinkled his nose in disgust. "It's okay, I guess. Most freshmen are still acting immature, even with midterms coming up. I bet half of them will fail."

Callum had to stop drinking his water for fear it would shoot out his nose. "Wow, Ez. That's cold."

"I'm just being realistic," Ezran said with a shrug. "But Aanya, Ellis, and I should all be fine. We've already started studying."

Rayla laughed. "Wow. I've barely started preparing for our finals, and I'm pretty sure we take those before you guys have midterms."

"Oh, that's another thing that makes me mad!" Ezran exclaimed. "I mean, kind of. I don't care _that_ much about you guys starting winter break earlier than me, even though Callum will be really annoying about it."

That was 100% true. Callum was definitely going to rub in the fact that he'd get to sleep late while his brother had to get up early for school solely to take two exams a day.

"I'm upset that I'm going to miss Claudia's opening show because of our stupid midterm schedule!" Ezran frowned in disappointment, angrily eating his noodles. "I know it's just a pay-what-you-can matinee, but still. It's technically the first showing, and I wanted to go."

Rayla gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don't feel too bad. You'll still be able to attend at least one of her performances, so… not the end of the world?"

"And Claudia told me she wants us all to come to opening night, anyways," Callum added. "She said the matinee is just a fancy dress rehearsal and that the evening shows are usually better. Something about a more positive audience reaction…?"

Ezran appeared slightly mollified by his words. "I guess that's true. And it is Macbeth, so seeing the show at night will probably add to the drama."

Callum had no doubt about that.

The rest of the dinner conversation remained lighthearted, ranging from the art showcase the next day to Harrow's latest 'incident' with paperwork that had ultimately caused Opeli ungodly amounts of stress.

The poor woman. She deserved a raise, but the state legislature had been yet to provide one.

Ezran begged Harrow to let him order a dessert, which Harrow promptly countered with the point that they had jelly tarts at home. Callum noted with amusement that his brother didn't appear satisfied with the proposition, but he also didn't argue further.

Rayla offered to pay for her portion of the meal. When Harrow adamantly refused, she insisted that she at least be able to help cover the tip, which Harrow did - reluctantly - agree to.

"Aw, you're taking her back to her dorm already?" Ezran complained as they stepped outside of the restaurant and into the chilly November air. "Rayla, come to our house for a bit! We have jelly tarts!"

Rayla laughed. "Thank you, Ez. But I can't impose any longer. You've already given too much to me this evening."

"You're welcome at our home anytime," Harrow promised. "So while there's no pressure, Ezran is right that we _do_ have a lot of jelly tarts."

Rayla still appeared hesitant. "Well…"

Callum did not at all mind the idea of spending more time with his girlfriend that evening. It was barely past seven. "Come on, Ray," he said, squeezing her hand. He didn't know why he suddenly introduced the nickname or if he even liked the sound of it, but he _did_ enjoy the way Rayla's face dusted with pink in response. "It'll be fun. I can still bring you back to your dorm afterwards, no problem."

He didn't know what it was that convinced her, but she relented. "Alright," she said with a grin. "I wouldn't mind a good jelly tart."

Soon they were all at Harrow's house, sitting around the table with a plate of jelly tarts in the middle, happily munching away while Callum and Rayla recounted the latest story Professor Dupuy told them about their cat in Renaissance History.

"How much history do you actually learn in that class?" Ezran asked at one point, to which neither of them had a concrete answer. Apparently their silence was enough to convince Ezran that Renaissance History was a class he wanted to take when he went to college. Callum considered that a victory.

The conversation had long since shifted to whether or not Bait had a favorite kind of jelly tart and if he could even taste the differences between them when they were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

"I'll get it," Harrow said, gesturing for them all to remain sitting as he left the dining room for the front door.

"I wonder who it is," Callum couldn't help but muse aloud, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Seems kind of late for an Amazon delivery."

"As if Jeff Bezos cares about his employees so much as to give them reasonable work hours," Ezran said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Callum. Don't be a bootlicker."

Rayla nearly choked on her jelly tart. "That is so quotable," she managed to get out amidst her coughing, waiting for them to subside before continuing. "Ezran, you are a gold mine of witticisms."

"Thank you, Rayla. It's my most admirable trait."

Callum started to retort with a silly comment, but he was interrupted by Harrow calling his and his brother's names before he could get more than a word and a half out.

"Ezran! Callum! Come here!"

Callum exchanged a confused look with his brother. "I guess it's someone we know?"

Ezran shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

They both stood up from the table, though Callum paused before leaving the room, turning back to face his girlfriend. "Will you -"

Rayla rolled her eyes, an amused smile dancing on her lips. "I think I'll be fine by myself for a few minutes, Callum. And you're only going to be, like, two rooms over."

She was definitely the voice of rationality and reason in their relationship. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before following his brother out of the dining room and down the hall to the front door.

"Surprise!" Harrow exclaimed, a wide grin on his face. "Look who came into town early!"

Callum's eyes widened in shock as he saw who stood next to his stepdad. He found himself unable to speak, instead remaining slack-jawed as Ezran beat him to the punch.

"Aunt Amaya?!"

xXxXxXx

**;)**


	28. timendi causa est nescire

**1\. World peace feels impossible. But it isn't as far-fetched as conservatives might tell you. Progressive foreign policy for any given nation would generally include the following: pursuing diplomatic solutions (using political tactics, not the military, to achieve solutions with mutual gain rather than one victor and one loser); reducing the role of the military as a whole (e.g. working to prevent wars rather than focusing on winning them); engaging strategic competitors (the US, for example, must learn to work with Russia and China while still being critical of their reported human rights' violations rather than remaining perpetually at odds with them); using force as a ****_last_**** resort (and multilaterally, e.g. through the UN, and with a definitive plan about when to withdraw); strengthening international institutions (e.g. using institutions like the UN to facilitate global cooperation, rather than one country taking control); reshaping nuclear weapons policy (reducing the size of nuclear weapon arsenals, never using nuclear weapons first, cancelling all plans to build/deploy new nuclear weapons, etc.); considering the humanitarian impact of economic sanctions (economic sanctions almost always disproportionately impact the poorest and most vulnerable members of a population, and therefore if used should be modified to only target wealthy/powerful individuals); enhancing oversight and accountability (the US, for example, must fight internal corruption, end unchecked mass surveillance of its citizens, etc.); tackling climate change (both within the country and on a global level); and improving global health (e.g. funding international organizations that support global health, increasing humanitarian aid to developing countries, preparing for the next pandemic, etc.). Implementing these policies would be a solid step towards true global cooperation and maybe, one day, world peace. (Condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram!)**

**2\. If you live in the US and are 18+ - VOTE. BLUE. ALL THE WAY DOWN YOUR TICKET. Democrats/Progressives need to control both the House and the Senate for effective, lasting policy changes like what's discussed above to occur.**

**Bonjour vous-autres! I hope you're all doing well this weekend. You know, surviving the global pandemic and whatnot. This chapter is a little shorter, but I'm pretty sure next week's update is kind of a beast compared to other chapter lengths lmao, so it balances out. I hope you enjoy!**

xXxXxXx

Amaya pulled both boys into a tight hug, one which they immediately reciprocated.

"What are you doing here?" Callum asked when she released them. He signed as he spoke, though he found himself faltering through the words. Not only was his sign language a little rusty, but his mind was racing with a million thoughts. He was torn between feeling ecstatic to see his aunt after so long and also freaking out because Rayla was currently sitting in the dining room. Rayla, who was _Xadian_. Something his aunt might… have a problem with.

This evening was not going to end well.

"I thought you weren't coming in until winter break?" he finished, giving her a questioning look.

"That was my original plan," Amaya signed, a wide smile on her face, "but Harrow informed me a few weeks ago that a certain nephew of mine got accepted into KSU's prestigious art showcase, and I knew I couldn't miss that for the world. I reorganized my vacation time with some help from Gren, so here I am!"

Callum found himself overwhelmed by the fact that his aunt had redone everything just to see him. _Him._ Well, and his artwork. Amaya was the best.

"Dad, did you know about this?!" Ezran demanded, though his accusatory tone didn't match the excited sparkle in his eyes.

"I may have known a thing or two," Harrow said evasively before winking at his sons. "But it wasn't confirmed until three days ago that she'd actually be flying in. I'm afraid she's only going to be here for this weekend before she has to leave again, though." Noticing Ezran's disappointed frown, he quickly added, "But, if all goes well, she should be back for winter break. It will just be for a slightly shorter amount of time than originally planned."

Amaya waved her hand dismissively. "Enough about me. We can talk about my future trips later," she signed. "What's going on with you guys? It's been nearly two years since my last visit!"

Callum had a feeling that two years was a slight exaggeration, but the sentiment was entirely true. Last time she'd visited in person, he'd been about to start his senior year of high school, and Ezran had still been in middle school. Now -

"I can't believe you're both in different schools!" she continued. "I swear you've grown up so much. Too much!"

"Actually, I haven't grown up at all," Ezran griped with a mock-scowl. "Dad says I won't hit my growth spurt until I'm at least a junior."

Harrow shrugged. "Late-bloomer genetics. Me and Sarai are both to blame."

"Honestly, you haven't missed all too much," Callum said, choosing to _actually _answer his aunt's question. He fingerspelled 'missed' as his mind blanked on the correct sign, then proceeded to forget an 's' anyways, which he didn't realize until after the fact. Gah - he seriously needed to brush up on his sign language, or else his hands would never keep up with his mouth. "I think the most exciting thing is the art showcase." He flushed. "Which you obviously already know about. Since that's what you're here for."

"Oh, Claudia has been cast as the head witch in Macbeth!" Ezran added. "And KSU's football team is currently undefeated because Soren is the best quarterback of all time. So that's some other pretty cool stuff going on."

Amaya chuckled. "I'll make sure to talk to those two about that tomorrow at the showcase, then." She glanced at Harrow before adding, "How is Viren?"

Harrow grimaced. "Viren is… himself."

Amaya nodded. "Nothing ever changes with him, does it?" Although she signed it indicating a question, Callum knew it wasn't one.

"Ah…" Harrow sighed, shrugging. "No, not really."

Ezran snapped his fingers, and Callum felt a chill run down his spine when he caught sight of the mischief glinting in his brother's eyes. "We're all forgetting one _major_ change, actually."

Uh oh. Callum did not like where this was going. "Ez…"

Amaya raised an eyebrow at her nephew's comment, a small smile on her lips. "Is that so?" she signed. "And what change would that be, exactly?"

Ezran smirked, reaching up to throw his arm around Callum's shoulders. "My brother here has a _girlfriend_! And she's the coolest person in the world."

Callum's instinctive response was to facepalm as blood rushed up to the tips of his ears. Yeah, he should have seen that one coming. "Yes," he mumbled with a nod when his aunt sent him an inquisitive look. "Her name is Rayla. We met this year." His blush deepened. "She's… er, she's actually in the dining room right now. If you want to meet her." There was no use putting it off - his aunt would find out regardless. And it wasn't like he could sneak Rayla out the back of the house.

Still. This was not at all how he'd imagined Rayla would meet his aunt, much less the way he _preferred_ it to occur. But he'd rather introduce them at least somewhat on his own terms than to totally throw Rayla under the bus.

Not that his attempt at reason negated the sinking feeling in his stomach, of course. The borderline-nausea reminded him too much of how he'd felt before meeting Runaan and Ethari.

Amaya smirked at him. "Oh, did my arrival interrupt a date?"

Callum groaned. "Ugh. You're as bad as these two," he said, gesturing to his stepdad and brother. "And no, it wasn't really a date."

"Are you sure about that?" she signed, giving him a teasing smile. "Forgive my skepticism, but you're dressed far more nicely than what you typically wear."

Callum dragged his hand down the left side of his face as he rolled his eyes. "This is bullying. I'm being bullied."

She snickered at his exaggerated reaction. Which was good. He'd rather her be in a positive mood when she met Rayla compared to… well, any other mood. "Don't worry, Callum. I'm just kidding. I would love to meet Rayla."

When they returned to the dining room, Rayla had only eaten a few more bites of her jelly tart, and was busy texting someone. When she noticed them enter, she immediately turned her phone off, placing it facedown on the table. "So who was…" she started to say, trailing off when she noticed Amaya standing in the back of the group. "You're Callum's aunt!" She paused. "I think?"

Amaya gave Callum a questioning look, presumably confused at Rayla's recognition of her.

"I've shown her a lot of family photos," he hastily explained, waiting for his aunt to nod before he moved to his girlfriend's side. Rayla stood up from her seat as he did so. "Rayla, this is Aunt Amaya," he said, slipping one hand into hers and gesturing towards Amaya with the other. "Aunt Amaya, this is Rayla. We've been together since September." He was grateful to see Ezran translating as he spoke, as he wasn't sure he had the mental capacity to fingerspell out each word with his free hand.

Rayla gave Amaya a small wave. "Hi. It's nice to meet you."

"You as well," Amaya signed in response, which Callum relayed to his girlfriend. He noticed something… odd flicker in his aunt's eyes as she took in Rayla's appearance, but it disappeared as soon as it had come. In other words, he couldn't get a good read on her initial reaction. "How did you meet my nephew?"

Rayla hesitated, and Callum could already feel the tension in the room thickening. But his girlfriend took a deep breath and answered. "Well, Callum, Claudia, and Soren were the only students to approach me at KSU when I arrived in August." Ezran paused in translating to clear his throat loudly, and Rayla smiled at him. "Ezran, too. We all hit it off right away, and have been friends ever since."

"Are you a transfer student?" Amaya signed, though Callum had a feeling the real question she wanted answered was _why wouldn't anyone else talk to you_.

"Not quite," Rayla replied, giving her a hesitant smile. "Exchange student." She glanced at Callum, before calmly adding, "From Xadia."

To anyone who didn't know her, it would have seemed like Amaya did not at all react to Rayla's admission. They'd be impressed, concluding that she'd remained calm and collected even in the face of such an 'unusual' proclamation.

But Callum _did_ know her. And he saw the way her jaw tightened. How her shoulders stiffened. The icy look that appeared in her eyes for the briefest of seconds.

He also saw that Rayla's face had paled ever so slightly, and he knew she'd picked up on his aunt's… negative reaction, too.

"I assume you're enjoying your time at KSU?" Amaya signed, breaking the awkward pause, though the tension in the room only grew.

Callum translated, and Rayla nodded. "Yes. Even though it's only been a few months, I've already found a close group of friends who don't care that I'm Xadian. In fact, they love me all the more for it."

He knew her words were a dig at his aunt, and he couldn't even bring himself to be mad, because if he was honest…? They felt deserved. Amaya's false cheer in Rayla's presence was as bad as Runaan's blatant iciness towards him had been.

"Well. That's good, then," Amaya signed in response, though there was a certain jerk, an aggression to her motions that had not been present earlier. "I'm glad to hear it."

The tension in the room was as bad as the times when Soren and Claudia argued - rare but awful occurrences. More importantly, both were scenarios Callum had no idea how to resolve.

Rayla's phone started ringing, effectively shattering the uncomfortable silence that had fallen. "Excuse me," she said stiffly, with a polite nod towards Amaya after she picked her phone up from the table and read the caller ID. "I need to take this." She gave Callum's hand a quick squeeze before stepping out into the living room.

It took every ounce of Callum's willpower not to explode. "Aunt Amaya," he said, trying to keep his voice as level as possible, "I hope you'll forgive me for saying this, but what the _fuck _was that about? Rayla hasn't done _anything _to you!"

His aunt ignored him, whipping around to glare accusingly at Harrow. "How on Earth could you approve of their relationship?" she signed angrily. "Being friends with her is one thing, Harrow, but allowing them to date? I can't believe you!"

Callum did not appreciate her rude dismissal of him, especially considering it was _his_ relationship that was being discussed. "I wasn't finished," he snapped, moving so she could see him signing. "You had no reason to be so rude! Why does it matter that she's Xadian? Shouldn't the most important thing be that we love each other? That she makes me happy?"

"You can be happy with someone who is not Xadian, I assure you," Amaya signed in response, directing her heated glare at him. "You're just a child, Callum. It's not like you really understand what love is yet -"

"I don't need to 'understand' what love is to know that I care a lot about Rayla and that Rayla cares a lot about me," he interjected, aware his interruption was disrespectful but unable to make himself give a shit. He prayed whoever Rayla was on the phone with couldn't hear them arguing. It was bad enough that Rayla herself probably could. "But I _do_ understand enough about love to recognize that the way you're acting is the farthest thing from it. You're - You're being hateful and bigoted and - and completely unfair! You're letting prejudice get the best of you!" He faltered, struggling to articulate to his point. "I - How can you justify being so cruel to Rayla just because she's Xadian?!"

"Because Katolis and Xadia have been at war for centuries," she retorted, her hands shaking slightly. Something akin to hurt flashed in her eyes. "The peace you've known during your life, Callum, is new. It is fragile. And it cannot be counted on. So as much as I wish we could guarantee a permanent peace, the fact remains that Xadia cannot be trusted."

Callum shook his head in exasperation. "You can't expect one person to be representative of their entire country! Much less expect them to represent their _government_." Because since when had any nation's government actually listened to its people? "If we keep acting based on bias and prejudice like you are right now, yeah, you've got a point. Maybe peace won't last. But that's because the only way to move forward and to keep this peace is to dismantle our own bigotry!" He glared at his aunt, his signing becoming more staccato with each motion as his frustration grew. "You claim to want a permanent peace, but your default reaction is _distrust_, and that's a big reason why we'll never have one!"

Amaya started to sign something else, but Ezran - who'd been silent until then - cut her off.

"Aunt Amaya, Rayla is a good person. And she's not good 'despite' the fact that she's Xadian." Ezran's signing grew bigger and more frustrated. "She's good _and_ Xadian. She's good _because_ she's Xadian! You have no idea how much ignorance she has to deal with every freaking day while she's here! But she stays. Because she wants to keep learning at KSU. Because she wants there to be peace between Xadia and Katolis. Because she _loves_ Callum, and because Callum loves her." He shook his head. "What's so hard to understand about that?"

Callum found himself absentmindedly wondering if he and Rayla were really that easy to read. He concluded that if they were, he didn't mind.

"And - And you're a good person, too, Aunt Amaya!" Ezran continued, his voice almost pleading. "Don't think you're not. If you apologize to Rayla, and if you really mean it, I promise she's going to forgive you. You can't start over with her, but you can at least make amends."

"There's no such thing as a bad time to start learning," Callum added, feeling more level-headed after Ezran's temporary intervention. "You didn't create the hatred between Katolis and Xadia, no. But you didn't have to create it in order to perpetuate it." He took a step towards her. "Now, you can choose to reject that hatred. You can _choose_ to work for acceptance and peace. There is no other way to move forward."

For the first time that evening, hesitance flickered in his aunt's eyes, and hope bubbled in Callum's chest. They were getting through to her, he knew it.

But she still didn't respond.

"You asked me how I approved of their relationship," Harrow said after a pause, slowly signing each word to his sister-in-law. "Why I'm 'allowing' them to date." He raised an eyebrow at Amaya. "I'd like you to consider that your father asked your mother the same thing when Sarai and I started dating."

Amaya flinched, and Callum exchanged a look with Ezran. He hadn't known that. Based on his brother's shocked expression, neither had he.

Harrow's gaze softened, and he placed a hand on Amaya's shoulder. "But, if memory serves, you were the first person to step in and defend me, just as my sons now defend Rayla." He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before letting go. "Think about it."

Regret flashed across Amaya's face. But as she began signing a response, Rayla stepped into the room, and Amaya froze.

"Sorry," Rayla said quietly. "Can I steal Callum for a moment?"

Callum didn't wait to be granted permission, instead leading his girlfriend out of the dining room without hesitation. "What's going on?" he asked after he'd closed the doors behind them. "Is something wrong?"

She rolled her eyes, giving him an amused smile. "Just because I asked to talk to you in private doesn't mean something is wrong, silly prince." She slipped her phone in her pocket. "I wanted to let you know that I'm leaving. Didn't want to disappear without saying goodbye."

Callum frowned. "Leaving?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Claudia's waiting outside."

Callum's frown deepened. "What? Rayla, I could have brought you home -"

Rayla placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "We both know you need to stay here with your aunt. Talk to her." She offered him a small smile. "Besides, I have a video chat with Runaan and Ethari in like half an hour that I completely forgot about. So we'll be having…" She chuckled. "Similar conversations, I'm sure."

Callum hesitated. He didn't like the idea of her leaving and not being able to give Ezran or Harrow a proper goodbye, but… he couldn't think of any way around it, either. "Okay," he finally agreed, slipping both of his hands into hers and leaning forward to touch their foreheads together. "See you at the showcase tomorrow?"

Her smile widened. "Obviously. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Her words were eerily similar to his aunt's from when she'd arrived, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. But before he could chicken out, Callum stood on his tiptoes to press a searing kiss to his girlfriend's lips, trying to convey all of the emotions tumbling through him into the one action. When Rayla leaned down into it, he knew she'd understood.

They pulled away, whispering their goodbyes. Callum stood silently in the hall as he watched her slip out the front door. Afterwards, he returned to the dining room, where his three family members had moved from standing in a circle to sitting more peacefully at the table. A good sign, he supposed.

"Rayla left," he said shortly, making no move to join them. "Claudia came to pick her up."

Harrow grimaced, sighing. "I see."

Ezran slid a plate towards his brother. "Jelly tart?"

Callum shook his head, giving his brother a soft smile. "No thanks, Ez. I'm good." He absentmindedly rubbed his left shoulder. "I think I'll turn in early tonight. Big day tomorrow."

Harrow nodded. "We understand." He offered his stepson a sympathetic smile. "Goodnight, Callum. Sleep well."

Ezran echoed the sentiment, and Callum nodded to the both of them. "Goodnight, guys." His gaze flickered over to Amaya, who was staring down at a mug of… some drink, he supposed. Maybe water.

She must have noticed him looking at her, because she lifted her gaze and signed, "Goodnight. See…" She shook her head. "Talk to you tomorrow."

Callum could feel tension easing out of his body, and he offered his aunt a warm smile as he signed back in response. "Talk to you tomorrow."

xXxXxXx

**Ending on a hopeful note :') I wonder how their talk will go? Guess we'll find out soon! Also, if any Deaf or HOH individuals have comments/advice about writing Amaya and what I could do to improve, I would absolutely love to hear your feedback. I did a lot of googling, but googling can only tell you so much compared to a real person, you know? Anyways. Merci pour lire! Au revoir!**


	29. love is always reborn

**1\. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! And in honor of Halloween, here is your obligatory reminder that someone's culture is NOT a costume; treating it as such is cultural appropriation, and it is racist and wrong. (For example, "dressing up" as Native Americans or other indigenous peoples, or wearing blackface to dress up as a Black character, celebrity, etc.) Cultural appropriation is very, very easy to avoid if you just take a moment to think about the "costume" you're preparing. Be respectful!**

**2\. HAPPY ACE AWARENESS WEEK! Aspec individuals own Halloween this year, and wow does it feel good. In honor of this week, allow me to give you a rundown of asexuality! The asexual spectrum is where an individual experiences no sexual attraction (i.e. they are asexual), or maybe they do experience sexual attraction, but only in certain circumstances (e.g. they are graysexual or demisexual; "asexual/ace/aspec" are umbrella terms). Asexuality is not celibacy, as celibacy is when a person intentionally chooses not to have sex. Asexuality is not a choice; it is about the lack of attraction. An asexual person can also choose to have or not have sex, of course, like any other allosexual individual! And because asexuality is about the absence of sexual attraction, it is an inherently LGBT+ identity. Asexuality has also been around since the beginning of time, like any other sexuality, even if the term did not yet exist. The first explicit mention of asexuality is from the late 1800s, I believe, though there are many instances in historic documents before then where the experience of asexuality is described, just without modern terminology for it. Furthermore, asexual individuals might experience romantic attraction (e.g. they may be biromantic, heteroromantic, homoromantic, panromantic, etc.), or they might not (i.e. they may be aromantic/arospec). Every person is different! (Information condensed from AVEN, Ace Week, and my own prior knowledge.)**

**In honor of Ace Awareness Week, let me remind y'all that our girl Sonya is CANONLY ASEXUAL! (It's canon because she's my OC, lmao.) A lot of y'all noticed her ace ring she wears, and that makes me smile. :D Again, happy Halloween, guys! This chapter is a long one, but I think it's a good one. No spoilers, but let's just say that y'all deserve some levity after the tension of the past few chapters. I hope you enjoy!**

xXxXxXx

Callum stayed in his bedroom for most of the next day. It was a mixture of him not quite feeling ready to talk to his aunt and also his desperate need for alone time to mentally prepare himself for the art showcase that evening. He'd discussed his introverted-ness with Soren before, how going out and interacting with people - even his friends - always left him exhausted, even after short amounts of time. Soren was the opposite, apparently, as he'd claimed social interaction left him _more_ energized. They'd concluded from their insightful conversation that the charging and draining of one's 'social battery' had to be the key difference between introverts and extroverts.

So, for the sake of maintaining that analogy, Callum was charging his social battery by staying in his room before the showcase, when it would undoubtedly be completely drained. Hence why he was contentedly sketching away his troubles instead of studying for finals while the _Carole and Tuesday _soundtrack played quietly in the background.

He'd originally been working on a sketch of Soren and Rayla playing football, but he kept getting distracted and consequently frustrated with himself when he made a mistake, so he'd soon moved to sketching Claudia in different witch outfits for Macbeth. She'd been very excited when the cast had been provided pictures of their costumes, and had promptly spammed the group chat with photos of them.

Of course, those sketches didn't hold his attention for long, either, even if they did require more brainpower to truly focus on. Instead he turned to his traditional comfort sketch: his mom. He preferred sketching her from memory, just to prove to himself that he'd never forgotten her appearance, but he had a photo of her tucked into the cover of his sketchbook for whenever his mind faltered.

Callum could hear Ezran laughing every now and then throughout the day, and he suspected Amaya had started patching things over with him. If anyone was capable of unlearning toxic beliefs and hateful rhetoric, he knew it was her. He also understood that much of her prejudice was a result of growing up during a war and eventually fighting in it herself, but that only further convinced him that she could see reason. Amaya had never _wanted_ to be so consumed by war. He had hope.

Which was why it only confused him more as to what, exactly, was making him so hesitant to talk with her about… well, everything. He knew she'd be willing to listen, so why couldn't he bring himself to do it?

Ugh. There was no way to put it off forever. And since he'd have to leave to pick up Claudia for the art showcase in less than an hour - _and_ he still had to get dressed and ready - that conversation probably needed to take place sooner rather than later.

He stared down at the photo of his mother, who looked up at him with a soft smile and a warmth to her eyes that he'd yet to be able to capture perfectly in his sketches. He knew what she'd tell him, if she were there. _Communication is important, Callum. You love Amaya. You trust her. And she loves and trusts you. The only way to move forward is to take the first step._

His mom was right. In more ways than one. He needed to talk to Rayla about the exchange program, too, even if he was no longer as certain that he wanted to apply. Maybe… he could bring her to his mother's grave - a way to tell them both at the same time. A silly thought, perhaps, but he couldn't help but smile as he imagined what his mother's reaction would have been like. Ecstatic, encouraging, open-minded - she'd always been his #1 supporter.

Callum smoothed the picture before closing his sketchbook, leaving it on his desk as he stood and made his way over to his bedroom door, readying himself to talk to Amaya. He did not expect, however, to open the door and find his aunt already standing outside, her hand poised to knock.

"Oh, sorry!" he stammered, taking a surprised step backwards. "I - uh -" He shook his head. "Did you need something?" How casual of him. Didn't betray his nerves at all.

Amaya hesitated, then signed, "Can I come in?"

Callum hastily nodded. "Sure! Yeah, totally." He stepped aside to allow her to enter, turning off his music before sitting next to her on his bed. The silence in the room was… awkward, definitely, but at least nowhere near as bad as when Harrow had given him 'the talk' so many years ago. God, sex education needed to be taught in schools. The system was so broken.

Amaya sighed, catching his attention as she turned on the bed to face him directly. "I want to apologize for last night." There was a distinct regret in her eyes as she signed. "My behavior was inexcusable. I put everyone in an uncomfortable position, especially Rayla, by acting so cruelly because of my prejudice against Xadia. It should have never happened in the first place, but my promise from now on is to ensure it never happens again."

Callum hesitated, then nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate your apology." This was a good start, right? It had to be.

"I plan to continue working on addressing my anti-Xadian biases," Amaya continued, giving him a small smile. "And I thank you for pointing them out to me. Perhaps I've always been aware of them and the terrible place from which they come, but… you forced me to confront them. I know I have a long way to go. However." She placed one hand on his shoulder, continuing to sign with the other and finger-spelling as needed. "Thank you for showing me that it's never too late to begin the journey towards peace."

There was a pause. Then Callum pulled his aunt into a tight hug, burying his face in her shoulder. "Thank you," he whispered, more for himself than it was for her. He didn't know why he was thanking her, really. The fact that she'd admitted she was wrong? Her determination to learn and do better? How she was the best aunt in the world?

Everything?

Amaya squeezed him tightly in response before slowly pulling away and signing, "You are so much like Sarai."

Callum couldn't help but smile at that, pride blossoming in his chest. "Thank you."

Hesitation flickered in Amaya's eyes, and she then proceeded to ask, "I assume Rayla will be at the art showcase tonight?"

"Yes." He had a feeling he knew where this was going. "She and Soren will be about an hour late because of football practice, but they'll be there." He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

She tilted her head, her stern expression reading _don't give me that look._ "I want to apologize to her," she signed. "I treated her the most unfairly. It doesn't matter that it was behind her back. It was wrong, and she deserves a proper apology."

Callum found himself beaming at her. "That's awesome, Aunt Amaya! I know Rayla will forgive you." It was in his girlfriend's nature to forgive - so long as she determined his aunt's apology to be genuine.

Amaya gave him a small smile. "I certainly hope so."

Guilt flooded Callum's chest as he suddenly remembered the aggression with which he'd confronted his aunt the night before. "But speaking of forgiveness…? He hastily signed his words, realizing he'd only been doing so sporadically. "I owe you an apology, too."

Amaya frowned. "What?"

"I shouldn't have lashed out so harshly at you," he said honestly. "It would have been better for me to have sat you down at the table or - or have taken you outside so we could talk privately, rather than snapping at you in front of everyone and expecting you to receive my words positively." He hesitated. "If that makes sense."

Amaya gave him a gentle smile. "You have no need to apologize for rightfully putting me in my place," she signed, "but if it will ease your mind, then I accept your apology."

It _did_ ease his mind, and after another beat, Callum pulled her into a second hug. "You're the best aunt ever." God, he hated arguing with people. Especially with people he loved. No wonder therapists put so much emphasis on clear communication in maintaining healthy relationships.

"Your room hasn't changed much," Amaya signed when Callum pulled out of the hug, her eyes scanning the walls. "Not since the last time I was here, anyways. Although it is emptier."

Callum laughed. "That's because I moved out," he reminded her. "My dorm has a lot of the stuff that used to be in here."

Amaya raised an eyebrow. "Why did you end up moving out? Living at home would have kept you close enough to campus. And you wouldn't have had to pay for housing and meal plans."

Callum shrugged. "My scholarships cover most of it. And…" Actually, why _had_ he moved out? Huh. He wasn't sure. "I guess I was just following Soren and Claudia's example," he went with. "Since Soren's relationship with Viren is… not the greatest, he moved out as soon as he could. Claudia did the same when she got accepted, so I kind of tagged along, too."

Amaya chuckled. "Monkey see, monkey do." She gestured to an empty space on the wall above his desk. "You used to have a bulletin board there, with polaroid photos and your sketches. Has it also been transferred to your dorm?"

"Yep." It was above his bed, and he updated it with new drawings weekly and a new photograph or two a month. Really, he deserved a pat on the back for how consistently he maintained it. High school Callum had been far less reliable.

Amaya smirked at him. "You have plenty of pictures with you and Rayla, I assume?"

Callum flushed, mostly because she was completely right. "Maybe."

Amaya shook her head, squeezing his shoulder. "I want you to know that I fully support your relationship with Rayla," she signed. "You're right. You love each other, and she makes you happy. I have no reason to doubt your faith in her."

Callum couldn't help but give his aunt a grateful smile. Her words were like a weight being lifted from his chest. "It means a lot to hear that from you." He paused, realizing that his phrasing was… not quite accurate. "Wait. To see that from you?"

Amaya snickered. "Either works. I know what you mean." She paused, then added with a smirk, "Also, I feel the need to inform you that Ezran has been regaling me all morning with tales from before you found the confidence to ask Rayla out. How I wish I had been here to see that."

Callum groaned. "Of course he did." Typical Ezran. Apparently his brother had made it his life goal to embarrass Callum as many times as possible. On the bright side, he supposed it was a good sign that Ezran had talked about Rayla all morning and Aunt Amaya hadn't minded. His suffering, then, was for the greater good of creating peace between Katolis and Xadia.

Amaya chuckled, then tapped her wrist. "Anyways. Don't you need to start getting ready soon?"

Callum grabbed his phone to check the time, eyes widening as he realized that he needed to leave for Claudia's house in less than twenty minutes if he wanted to pick her up without being late to the showcase. Which was important, since he was one of the featured artists and therefore needed to arrive _early_. "Yes, I definitely do," he said frantically, jumping off his bed and darting over to his closet, pushing different shirts and slacks aside to find his suit.

Ugh. He hated formal attire, but sometimes it couldn't be helped.

Amaya joined him, taking out his suit with maroon accents. "Wear this one," she signed. "If you trust my fashion sense, that is."

Callum laughed, accepting the outfit from her. "I trust yours more than my own, that's for sure." Which, to be fair, wasn't a difficult contest by any means.

She left his room while he changed, and he put the _Carole and Tuesday _soundtrack back on. Because why not? It was calming, and he attributed his success in correctly tying his tie without attempting it a million times to that fact. He remembered to run his brush through his hair before he left the bedroom, knowing there was little else he could do to style it. Hair gel had been a _bad_ phase for him during his sophomore year of high school. He really didn't know what had compelled him to put so much effort into his appearance.

No, wait. He definitely did. And the reason made it all the more understandable why Claudia had never reciprocated his feelings.

Before he left for Claudia's house, he double-checked with his family that they knew when to arrive at the art showcase. They confirmed that they'd be there about fifteen minutes before the official start time, since Harrow was supposed to give one of the introductory speeches. With that finalized, Callum said his goodbyes - pointedly ignoring Ezran's teasing about how Rayla would _love _how dashing he looked in a suit - before heading out the door and climbing into his car. He plugged Claudia's address into his GPS and put on one of Spotify's daily mixes before driving away.

Claudia's house - well, Viren's house - was not far from his dad's, per se. They'd grown up together, after all, and he was pretty sure he could get there in his sleep. Still, it had been a while since he'd been to the house and not her dorm, and he didn't want to make even one wrong turn that could cause him to be late and face the wrath of a million pissed off art professors. As a freshman, he figured making a good first impression at one of KSU's more prestigious events was important.

That said, he'd of course calculated an extra ten minutes into his schedule, because he had a gut feeling that Claudia wouldn't be _completely_ ready the moment he arrived at her house.

His suspicions were confirmed when he knocked on the door and it was her dad who answered.

"Callum," Viren said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Here to pick up Claudia, I presume?"

Callum nodded. "Yes sir. For - For the art showcase."

Viren sighed. "I'm aware. She's talked incessantly about it. Though at least that subject is more interesting than Soren's obsession with football. His most ridiculous passion, if he ever had one that wasn't so." He stepped aside, holding the door open. "Come in. She's almost ready."

Callum nodded again and did as instructed, though he didn't follow the man further into the house. Viren had always been… well, 'odd' was probably the kindest way to put it. Callum was never particularly comfortable being in a room alone with him. Plus, he was well aware of the anti-Xadian sentiments Viren held, as much as the man tried to disguise them as concern for Katolis.

Not to mention Callum noticed the… disparity of treatment between Claudia and Soren. It was no wonder Soren had wanted to move out as soon as he was old enough. Harrow had never and would never stoop to such a low in his parenting, even if Callum technically wasn't 'his' son, which made Callum ever the more grateful for his stepfather's presence in his life.

"Claudia tells me you and the Xa… Rayla are dating," Viren said as he returned to the hallway where Callum was waiting, now holding a glass of clear liquid. Hopefully water. "I suppose congratulations are in order."

Callum managed to give him an awkward smile. "Thank you, sir."

Viren nodded, glancing down into his cup. "I'm curious as to whether your father had anything to say about your getting together." He raised an eyebrow. "Did he?"

"Er… He was very supportive," Callum said, fingering the edge of his suit's sleeve around his left wrist. "He said that Rayla made me laugh, and that we were good for each other, so he was perfectly fine with us dating."

Something akin to distaste flickered in Viren's eyes. "Of course he did."

Callum had no idea how to respond to that. Thankfully, however, he was saved from having to come up with something as Claudia joined them in the hallway.

"Ooh, someone sure looks dashing!" she teased, gently knocking his shoulder. "Planning to sweep your girlfriend off your feet?"

"Ha ha," Callum said, rolling his eyes. "You know I'm only dressed this nice because the event requires it." Formal wear was _not_ his thing. And, if he was being honest, he kind of preferred that Rayla be the one to sweep him off of _his_ feet, rather than the other way around. Still - both were good, and he would not refuse Rayla if she asked.

Claudia then noticed that Viren was in the hall with them. "Dad, have you been bothering Callum?" she demanded, placing a hand on her hip in exasperation. "Seriously. You need to learn how to read the room!"

"No, it's fine," Callum hastily reassured her, not wanting to be a point of conflict between Claudia and her dad. "We were just… chatting." If their stiff, awkward conversation could be called a 'chat', anyways.

Viren nodded. "Callum is correct. We were merely making small talk."

Claudia didn't look like she believed either of them. "Dad, you aren't physically capable of making socially-acceptable small talk." She rolled her eyes, looping an arm through Callum's. "But we have no time for debate. Callum and I need to get a move on!" She pressed a quick kiss to her dad's cheek before practically dragging Callum out the front door, pulling it shut behind them.

Once they were outside in the evening's warm sunlight, Callum was able to fully appreciate his friend's glamorous outfit. When Claudia went all-out, she went _all-out._ She wore a floor-length green silk dress - the same shade as her eyes - with spaghetti straps, the fabric dipping down in the back. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a bun, and a white flower was tucked behind her right ear.

"You look amazing," he said honestly as he unlocked his car, though the fact that the dress lacked any real sleeves did make him wonder if she'd be cold in the chilly November air. Well, he supposed they'd be inside for a majority of the evening, so maybe not. Then he smirked at her. "Dressing up for a certain mutual friend of ours, by any chance?"

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Can't a girl ever dress up for herself?" She snickered at the dubious look he gave her. "Okay, I can't get anything past you." She spun in a circle, the bottom of the gown flaring out slightly. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"She'd be a fool not to," he said with a laugh. He started to walk around to the driver's side of his car, but stopped when Claudia snatched the keys out of his hand. "Uh… Am I not driving?"

"Nope," Claudia said as she steered him by the shoulders to the passenger seat of his car. "I know you better than just about anyone, which means I am entirely aware of how nervous you are about the showcase, and as a result I do _not _want you driving me anywhere. Not when your thoughts are going in a million directions. Would you consider that a fair assessment?"

More than fair. So Callum resigned himself to sitting in the passenger seat.

But, being that it was his car, he was still allowed to control the music, and he put the Spotify daily mix he'd been playing earlier back on.

"So, do you know how Sonya plans to get to the showcase?" Callum asked as Claudia stopped at a red light.

"Not really. I think she mentioned something about being a little late," Claudia mused, adjusting the rearview mirror. He'd have to remember to correct it later. "She said she had to help her cousin Samirah with a favor before she could leave."

Callum nodded. He vaguely recalled Sonya explaining that when he'd asked her the other day.

"I'm so excited to see all the art," Claudia added, the twinkle in her eyes only serving to reinforce her words as true. "I wanted to go to both showcases last year, but I didn't have any time because I was an idiot who scheduled too many hours as a freshman. Not this semester, though! I wised up." She beamed at him, though she had to turn her attention back to the road as the light turned green. "And I _really_ can't wait to see your picture, Callum, all hung up and on display!"

He couldn't lie - he was pretty excited for that, too. It made him feel so… 'professional' was the only word for it. "Yeah," he admitted, unable to keep a smile off his lips. "I still can't believe my art was actually accepted." Sure, it was just a schoolwide showcase, but he'd read on KSU's website that they usually got close to a thousand submissions - mostly from art majors, though not entirely - but could only display around a hundred. And he'd made it. Him! It still felt surreal.

"Well, you'd better learn to believe it," Claudia said with a sideways glance towards him, "because you're an incredibly talented artist and you shouldn't be afraid to acknowledge that." She waited until she had to pause at a stop sign to wink at him. "It's not bragging if it's true."

Callum wasn't sure how true _her_ last statement was, but it boosted his ego nicely nonetheless.

They spent the rest of the drive griping about finals, because sometimes it was just nice to complain with someone about a shared struggle. Callum was tempted to ask Claudia about the calculus group chat she and Rayla were supposedly in, but he figured that was ultimately an uncalled for invasion of both her and Rayla's privacy, so he kept his questions to himself.

Claudia returned his keys to him when they arrived, and he made sure to lock his car and put them in his pocket immediately afterwards, otherwise he knew he'd end up dropping them or something equally ridiculous. Upon walking inside the building, they were greeted by a sign-in sheet and a bubbly red-haired girl.

"Just keeping track of our artists as they arrive," she said with a cheerful smile. "Thank you for showing up on time!"

Callum found his name on the paper, scribbling his initial on the line next to it before returning the girl's smile as Claudia skimmed through something on her phone. The girl then matched his name with a map she had on a clipboard, directing him to where his artwork was hung with another bright smile. Callum noticed Claudia snagging a program off the table before she followed him.

His picture was in the room farthest from the entrance, located near a back corner. In other words, it was the perfect place. The only people that should approach him - hypothetically, at least - would be his friends and anyone genuinely interested in his artwork, both of which were scenarios he was confident he could handle. And he hadn't invited many people, either - just close friends and family, like Claudia and Sonya, Rayla and Soren, and of course Ezran, Harrow, and Amaya.

That said, he had not expected to see someone standing in front of his work already.

"Professor Dupuy?!" Callum exclaimed, recognizing the agender-flag bracelet they'd taken to wearing. "What are you doing here?"

"It's Professor Nguyen now, actually," they said, turning around to give both him and Claudia a wide smile. "My divorce has at last been finalized with my husband - _ex-husband_ \- and he's on his way to anger management classes, so I'm taking my name back!"

It _did _look like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders, although Callum hadn't been privy to all the details regarding his professor's divorce. Only what they'd chosen to share in class. "Oh." He shook his head. "I mean, that's great!" He paused. "I think?"

Professor Dup - Professor _Nguyen_ \- chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll be giving your class the rundown of that story on Monday. I've prepared a lesson related to it about the restricted life of Renaissance women and how it has more similarities to the treatment of women today than people like to think about."

Yet another reason why Professor Nguyen was the best teacher Callum had ever had. It was hardly a contest at this point.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but you are obviously the coolest professor in all of KSU," Claudia said, offering her hand for Professor Nguyen to shake. "My name is Claudia. I'm guessing Callum is in one of your classes?"

Oops. Callum had forgotten that Claudia was one of his friends who _wasn't_ in Renaissance History with him.

Professor Nguyen chuckled, shaking her hand. "I appreciate the compliment. And yes, Callum takes one of my history courses. Renaissance History, to be precise."

Claudia snapped her fingers. "Oh, okay! Sonya has praised your class a lot." She laughed. "Maybe I should consider signing up for it next semester. I think I still have a Gen Ed Humanities requirement to fill."

"I'm sure I'm biased because it's my class, but I do highly recommend it." They shoved their hands into their pockets. "Callum - I never answered your question as to what I was doing here." They shrugged. "It's simple, really. I heard one of my best students got accepted into the art showcase - as a freshman, no less - with a classically-inspired piece. From there, the universe basically commanded me to come check it out."

Callum flushed at the compliment. "Thank you, Professor." He hesitated, but couldn't stop himself from adding, "Does… that mean you like it, then?"

Professor Nguyen grinned at him. "Yes, I do. It is _very_ impressive. I hope you won't forget me when you're famous."

If a Classics teacher approved of his work, then there was no higher praise. Callum couldn't believe he'd peaked at 18.

They chatted a few minutes longer about finals before Professor Nguyen got a phone call and had to leave to answer it, though they reminded Callum again about their upcoming lesson plan for Monday before doing so.

"Oh, look at that!" Claudia practically squealed as they moved to where his picture hung, gently nudging him towards it. "How does it feel to be a local celebrity?"

Callum rolled his eyes, though her praise had him blushing. "I wouldn't know, since I'm not a local celebrity. But…" He couldn't help but smile as he looked up at the picture, neatly framed with a small card next to it that had his name printed in block letters. "It does feel pretty good."

Claudia pulled him into a tight hug, and Callum could practically feel the enthusiasm radiating off of her. "I am so proud of you! This is all freaking awesome!"

"Claudia, it's not that big of a deal," he muttered, both flattered and embarrassed by her gushing. "It's just the school showcase."

Claudia rolled her eyes as she released him from the hug. "You're so modest. It's infuriating." She glanced down at her phone to check the time. "Presenters won't be arriving for another twenty minutes. Want to go look at all the other artworks?"

_Obviously _he did, thus they went on a brief wander throughout the three rooms where everything was displayed. For the most part, Claudia seemed as interested as he did, though she kept pausing to text someone. Not that her occasionally getting distracted at all took away from the experience for Callum. He was far too absorbed for that. He'd always enjoyed looking at art, especially the art of people he knew or were close to his age, which of course meant the showcase was a perfect combination of the two. The variety of the work made it all the more exciting, and not to mention also only increased his disbelief that somehow, _somehow_, his piece had been accepted. It still blew his mind.

Paintings made up a majority of the works, but they were of several different mediums, from acrylic to watercolor to even a few oil, which he knew must have taken eons to finish. There were several sculptures, a couple different handicrafts, and at least four charcoal sketches. Including his own, that was.

"Oh, Ezran says they're here," Claudia said, tearing his attention away from the Mycenaean-style doll he'd been admiring. She snickered as she read something else on her phone. "He also says to take your phone off of silent for once in your life."

Callum rolled his eyes, amused. "Not a chance." Though he did accept the hint to check his phone, quickly skimming over his brother's messages. "Do you want to go say hi to them before we're restricted to my corner?" Well, _she _technically wasn't restricted, but she'd be sticking with him so he wouldn't have to face strangers alone. True friendship.

Claudia shrugged. "Why not? We still have time."

Callum tried not to look too eager as they began walking towards the front of the building. As far as he knew, no one except himself, Ezran, Rayla, and his dad knew that Amaya was in town. Hopefully Rayla hadn't told Claudia - assuming she hadn't, then it would be the perfect surprise. Admittedly, Aunt Amaya had always been closer to Soren, but she still cared for Claudia, too. Callum was well aware that his aunt couldn't stand Viren, which was probably why she'd unofficially taken his kids under her wing.

Claudia's eyes widened as she caught sight of exactly who was waiting near the front. "No. Way." She glanced at Callum, who just grinned at her. "Am I imagining things? Or is she really…?"

She trailed off, and Callum shrugged, still grinning. "Let's find out."

Claudia lifted the bottom of her dress to walk faster across the room, somehow managing to politely dodge through the ever-growing crowd of people. "Oh my God, Amaya!" she exclaimed, pulling the woman into a hug that was immediately returned. "Holy crap, I didn't know you were coming into town!"

"It wouldn't have been a surprise if you did," Amaya signed with a teasing smile after releasing her, Harrow having translated Claudia's words for her during the hug. Callum relayed his aunt's message to his friend. "It's so good to see you! Will Soren be here tonight, too?"

While Claudia and Amaya caught up, Callum was distracted by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out to see that Rayla had sent him a text.

_Rayla: football practice will be over soon so we're almost on our way :)_

_Rayla: it's too bad i have to miss your dad's speech_

_Callum: no, you're better off missing that_

_Rayla: lmao how cruel of you_

_Rayla: gtg. see you soon!_

_Callum: can't wait!_

And he followed his message with a heart emoji like a lovestruck teen, because that was exactly what he was. How embarrassing.

"The introductory speeches are starting soon," Harrow said, snapping Callum out of his Rayla-induced reverie. "If you'd prefer, you can all wait near the edge of the room, that way Callum can get to his 'station' right away afterwards. I'll have to tie up a few loose ends after I give my speech, but hopefully I'll be able to join you within a half hour."

They followed his advice, mostly because there was no reason _not_ to, and carefully navigated through the crowd of artists and art-lovers alike.

"Is anyone who's actually _interesting_ giving a speech tonight?" Ezran asked. "Because I don't really care about a bunch of old white men giving a mini-lecture on art history when they themselves do not fully comprehend art's progress, made clear in their adamant refusal to acknowledge today's transformative artwork in the form of graffiti - which isn't even new - as well as fanart and digital artwork."

Claudia shook her head in amusement, smoothing the program she'd grabbed earlier over her knee. "Ezran, you possess more wisdom than anyone else here, and you're younger than most of them." She handed him the booklet. "Here. This lists everyone giving a speech tonight."

Ezran quickly read through the program, sighing in disappointment. "No one cool. Except Dad, of course."

Callum had to bite his tongue to avoid laughing at his brother's expression. "I know this is like, 'my night' or whatever," he began, "but I would not judge any of you if you get on your phone during the speeches." He was considering doing so himself, though he did feel obligated to try and translate for his aunt, since KSU had neglected to hire someone for Deaf and HOH guests. The only people he was really interested in hearing from were his own art professor, who'd no doubt keep things short, and obviously his dad. He was almost certain that Harrow had snuck in a reference about him, although his stepfather denied it.

"God, I love being friends with an artist who's not a pretentious douche," Claudia said with a contented sigh, placing a hand over her heart as she logged into her phone with the other. "Callum, I hope you know that you're my favorite person."

Callum snickered. "I doubt that. But the flattery is appreciated."

As he suspected, most of the speeches were pretty boring. Claudia was shamelessly texting someone the entire time, while Ezran was more subtly messaging Aanya and Ellis in a group chat on Instagram. Callum was translating the speeches to the best of his ability for Aunt Amaya, as he didn't think they were close enough for her to read the presenters' lips, but he didn't miss the bored expression on her face. So he added some random words into the mix, just for the fun of it. That got her to smile.

Callum could not articulate just how much of a relief it was to be back on good terms with her. He hated conflict, and conflict with the people he cared about was worst of all. But they'd be okay. He trusted his aunt's sincerity.

Callum's art professor _did_ keep his speech short, as Callum had predicted, focusing mostly on good etiquette as well as the best questions to ask an artist if someone felt genuinely interested in their work. Callum agreed with the conclusion of 'if you don't really care, then don't ask' wholeheartedly - the idea of making small talk with strangers made him want to die.

Harrow's speech started pretty traditionally, as he talked about how proud he was of every student there and how they should be even more proud of themselves for such an accomplishment. He made a few corny, lighthearted jokes about previous speakers that earned laughter from the crowd and an amused eye roll from Amaya. He concluded it all with a subtle reference towards Callum, which Callum had known was inevitable and was just thankful it was brief.

"I encourage you to check out every piece in this exhibit," Harrow said, gesturing around him, "from glass-blown bottles to impressive charcoal sketches that blend the past and present into one."

Ah, there it was. How cliché.

Amaya must have noticed his disgruntled expression as he translated his dad's words for her, as she signed to him, "He's just teasing you."

"I know," he signed in response. "I just hope that doesn't attract unwanted visitors to my corner." Hopefully the reference had been vague enough that no one would connect it to him.

Harrow ended his speech by dismissing everyone into the exhibit, and Callum turned around to face their little group. "Claudia and I have already seen all the art, so it's okay if you two want to explore before you join us in my back corner," he said to Ezran and his aunt.

Ezran gave him a thumbs up, and the two duos went their separate ways. Callum was relieved to note that not many people - besides other artists - were in the room where his sketch was hung.

"Oh, Soren says he and Rayla are about to leave," Claudia said as they stationed themselves in front of his picture. "So I guess they'll be here in twenty-ish minutes."

Twenty minutes without Rayla would no doubt feel like an hour, but he'd have to endure. "Cool." He was excited, though, by the prospect of _Soren_ getting surprised by Aunt Amaya. And hopefully the tension between her and Rayla would be… less, too. He knew his aunt wanted to apologize, but he just wasn't sure when she'd be able to find time that evening.

During those twenty minutes, Callum was approached by only two people, one being an elderly woman with a passion for classical architecture and the other being a high schooler who was involved with their school's Junior Classical League, both of which were hobbies that Callum could respect. Just as Amaya and Ezran arrived and started to jokingly fawn over his art, Callum felt his phone buzz in his pocket at the same time as Claudia exclaimed, "Oh! Soren and Rayla are here!"

Callum couldn't help but break into a smile at her proclamation, and Ezran's eyes similarly lit up.

"I'll let them know where we are," Claudia mused as she texted a response, "that way we don't have to be the ones navigating through the crowd for the millionth time."

Amaya tapped Callum on the shoulder, pulling his thoughts away from the arrival of his friends. "I would still like to apologize to Rayla tonight," she signed. "Would you mind translating for me?"

"Of course," he said, almost surprised she'd felt the need to ask. Well, asking was the polite thing to do, technically. "Just let me know when you need me."

She nodded, starting to sign something that probably would have been 'thank you', but they were all soon distracted by an ecstatic shout of, "AMAYA?!"

Callum turned to see a familiar blonde quarterback charging - how fitting - through the crowd to practically tackle - oh, wow, even more fitting - his aunt into a hug.

Amaya grinned as she embraced Soren, ruffling his hair as he pulled away. "Surprise! It's so good to see you," she signed. "I take it you missed me?"

"Holy crap, this is the best surprise _ever_!" Soren said, returning her grin with an enthusiastic one of his own, bouncing on his heels in excitement. "When did you arrive? How long will you be in town? Obviously I've missed you so frickin' much!" With that, he promptly pulled her into another hug.

Yeah, Aunt Amaya was far more of a parent to Soren than Viren had ever been.

But before Callum could get too bogged down by such depressing thoughts during what was supposed to be a cheerful evening, he was distracted by a goddess appearing in front of him, an ethereal woman more commonly known as Rayla Moonshadow.

She smirked as he gawked at her appearance. "I do clean up pretty nicely, don't I?"

"'Nicely'?" he repeated. "It should be impossible for someone to look this beautiful." His girlfriend wore a flowing lavender dress, the fabric a shade lighter than her violet eyes. Instead of a back, there were slim silver chains and tiny rhinestones that created a design not dissimilar to the Eridanus constellation. In fact, that probably was the intended picture. Her hair was pulled back into a French braid, displaying her silver crescent moon earrings.

"Well, you can thank Claudia for that," Rayla said, eyes twinkling. Claudia proceeded to stick her tongue out and throw up a peace sign upon hearing her name. "She's the one who took me shopping and put up with my whining the entire time."

That sounded true. Rayla did not often enjoy shopping, even when it was for basic necessities like groceries. "To be fair, you could have worn anything and still been the most gorgeous person here," he pointed out, taking his hands in hers. "That said, I am not complaining about the final result."

Rayla laughed. "Well, you don't look too bad yourself, my prince. I certainly don't mind the suit - you should wear it more often."

Really, what was he _supposed_ to do other than kiss her after she'd said that?

Her chapstick tasted like cotton candy, or at least something of similar sweetness. She smelled a bit like soap, too - probably from a post-practice shower.

"Ew," Ezran said in mock-disgust as they pulled away from each other, though their fingers remained intertwined. "You guys need to get a room."

"Ah, young love," Claudia said dreamily with a hand over her heart. "How enchanting to witness."

Callum figured the most appropriate response would be to press a quick kiss to his girlfriend's cheek, so he did exactly that.

"Claudia!" Soren exclaimed, his voice loud enough to capture the attention of the entire group. "Amaya said she's going to try to make it to the championship! Isn't that awesome?!"

Amaya signed from beside him, "Something tells me Viren won't make much of an effort to go. And how could I miss such an important event?"

Claudia's expression shifted from a barely-disguised grimace at the mention of their father to a look of gratitude. "That is _totally_ awesome," she affirmed. "Soren is the greatest quarterback in the country, after all!"

Soren turned to say something else to Amaya, and Claudia glanced down at her phone before spinning on her heel to face Rayla. "Callum, permission to steal your girlfriend?"

"I'm pretty sure you don't need _my _permission," he said, amused, letting go of Rayla's hand. Rayla allowed Claudia to pull her off to the side, and although he may have been mistaken, Callum was pretty sure he heard one of them whisper something about needing a distraction. Whatever _that_ was about.

"Have you talked to Rayla about the exchange program yet?" Ezran asked, pulling Callum out of his thoughts.

He grimaced at his brother's question "Er… not yet." He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I haven't figured out if I want to apply. I don't want to tell her too much while I'm still indecisive."

Ezran frowned. "I thought you were pretty set on going. Did something happen?"

Callum's mind flashed back to his… difficult conversation with Runaan and Ethari. "You could say that."

Ezran nodded, knowing his brother well enough to not press the matter further. "Well, I still think you should do it. It's your decision, after all. No one else's. Only you get the final say."

Ezran was right. He usually was, as annoying as that could sometimes be. "Thanks, Ez," Callum said, giving his brother a small smile. "You always are the voice of reason, huh?"

"Someone in our family has to be."

Again, true. But Amaya soon walked over, distracting them both. "Callum," she signed, "do you mind if I speak to Rayla now?"

Callum pulled his hands out of his pockets. "Uh… Now should be fine? Yes?" For all of Rayla's talent as an English major, dating her had done nothing to make him more articulate. He quickly moved to where Rayla and Claudia were talking, noting with amusement and suspicion that their conversation ceased the moment he'd arrived at their side. "Rayla, Aunt Amaya was wondering if she could talk to you for a moment."

Rayla glanced at Claudia, who simply shrugged and said, "That'll work."

He had no clue as to what unspoken conversation was happening between them, but Claudia's words seemed to satisfy Rayla, who turned back to him and nodded. "Sure."

He led her to the corner where Amaya was waiting, just to the right of his sketch hanging on the wall. "I'll translate for both of you," he said to his girlfriend, and she gave him a slightly nervous smile in response.

"Okay."

Callum then turned back to his aunt. "Whenever you're ready."

Amaya took a deep breath and began signing, not stopping once for a non-literal breath. "I want to first apologize for the disrespectful way I treated you when we first met. It does not matter that I did it behind closed doors - it was inexcusable and I do not expect your forgiveness for it. My behavior that night was bigoted and wrong. There is nothing I can do to change what happened or make it right for you." She hesitated, as if trying to find the right words. "But I want to do better," seemed to be what she decided on, and she nodded at Rayla. "I _will_ do better, both with combating my biases and with educating myself on anti-Xadian rhetoric. Rhetoric that I have undoubtedly perpetuated in Katolis and in my travels, regardless of if I meant to or not." She paused. "Like I said, I do not expect your forgiveness. I do not even want to _ask_ for your forgiveness, because you are not obligated to give it. All I would like is a second chance."

There was a brief pause before Rayla answered. "Thank you for your apology," she said, Callum signing as she spoke. "It means a lot to me, because…" She chuckled. "Well, most people don't bother." She twisted a silver ring around her pinky finger that Callum hadn't noticed she was wearing. "I actually want to apologize for rushing out that night. It was… pretty cowardly of me and I'm sure it didn't ease any tension between all of you."

Amaya gave her a soft smile, the expression reminding Callum so strikingly of his mother that he was several seconds delayed in translating his aunt's next sentence to Rayla. "You are not responsible for educating me or for 'easing tension', as you put it. There is nothing you need to apologize for."

Rayla returned her smile. "Fair point." She stopped twisting her ring before she continued. "To answer your request - of course you can have a second chance. We'd never make any progress if I forced you to stay in square one your entire life." She took a deep breath. "And, for the record… I do forgive you." She glanced at Callum, and he felt like he was going to faint from the dizzying amount of affection in her eyes. "How could I not? You're one of the most important people in Callum's life."

Amaya chuckled at that, signing, "I can't believe I almost let my bigotry get in the way of seeing _your_ importance to Callum. I may be Deaf, but I shouldn't allow myself to fall prey to selective blindness, too."

Callum could feel his face growing redder. "Why do these conversations always circle back to me?"

Rayla laughed, gently bumping his shoulder with hers. "Because we love you. Duh." She returned her attention to Amaya. "Okay. I practiced this in the mirror for like half an hour, with some help from Claudia but mostly from WikiHow." She lifted her hands, a mixture of focus and apprehension forming on her face as she slowly signed, "Can we be friends?"

A wide smile broke out onto Amaya's lips, and she nodded before holding her arms open for a hug, which Rayla accepted.

"Your family is the best," Rayla whispered to Callum as she returned the hug, earning laughter from her boyfriend.

"Yeah, I guess they're alright," he replied with a teasing smile. "But they're all huggers."

Rayla snorted. "I can tell. The whole lot of you."

Amaya released her, starting to sign but pausing as something behind them seemed to catch her attention. "Callum," she signed, switching gears, "I think there may be a few people here for you."

Callum frowned, glancing at Rayla, who had the most innocent-looking expression on her face he'd ever seen. And by that he meant it was obviously fake. "What do you -" He turned around, only to be cut off by a group of people all saying, "Surprise!"

His jaw dropped. "Oh my God."

All of his friends were there. _All_ of them. Obviously Ez, Soren, and Claudia, who'd been there just about the entire time, but they'd been joined by Felix, who was holding hands with Dominic while Emilé stood to his left. Sonya was there, too, her hot pink hijab oddly complimentary to the long-sleeved, maroon dress she wore. Even Lucas was there, despite the fact that Callum hadn't seen him in person for several weeks.

"Why - what are you all doing here?" he sputtered, still trying to wrap his brain around the fact that so many of his friends stood in front of him. He wasn't complaining, definitely not, but he didn't _understand _\- he hadn't gone out of his way to invite them or anything, so why -

"We're here to support you!" Felix said enthusiastically. "You're our friend, Callum. Obviously we weren't going to miss an event as important as this."

"Dude, you got accepted into KSU's super-selective art showcase!" Emilé added with a smirk. "This is a most triumphant occasion. We all wanted to see your bodacious artwork!"

Callum's face reddened at the compliment. "It's really not that big of a deal," he mumbled, feeling more embarrassed - and happier, admittedly - by the second.

Dominic tilted his head. "Wait, do you not know?"

Callum glanced at Rayla, who'd moved to stand at his side. "Know what?"

Sonya rolled her eyes. "Callum, only three freshmen had a piece accepted into the showcase. You're one of them. That's _incredible_."

Callum could feel his mouth forming a small 'o', and no words escaped his lips.

"Oops," Soren said. "We broke him."

"Only Callum wouldn't know when he did something cool," Ezran commented, rolling his eyes. Callum noticed his brother had his phone raised, and he had a feeling Ezran was either recording his reaction or streaming it to Ellis and Aanya. Possibly both.

"Claudia was the one who organized this," Lucas said with a small smile, his hands in his pockets. "We all wanted to congratulate you, of course, so there were no issues with getting us to agree. The real struggle was figuring out how to get us all here at the same time without you noticing so we could properly surprise you."

"Amaya unintentionally provided the perfect distraction," Claudia said with a laugh. "But I don't deserve even half the credit. All I did was create a group chat and help arrange transportation. It was Rayla's idea."

Callum turned to Rayla, who shrugged modestly. "I thought it'd be nice to have the whole gang here at once to surprise you."

Now he was having to fight back tears. "I love you so much," he murmured, taking her hands in his own again. "I think you're my dream girl."

She flushed. "You dork." She then gave him a gentle smile. "I love you, too."

Their friends all cheered as she leaned down to press a kiss to his lips, no doubt cued on by Ezran or Claudia or - hell, maybe even Soren. Their hollering probably disturbed everyone else at the showcase, but for once in his life Callum couldn't bring himself to care what other people thought of him. All that mattered was Rayla's presence - she was with him, he was with her, and he could _feel_ the love radiating off his friends in waves.

And as he pulled away, hand cupping Rayla's cheek as she stared down at him with a hypnotizing mixture of awe and elation in her violet eyes, Callum made a decision.

He wanted to go to Xadia. Runaan and Ethari be damned. The only approval he needed was Rayla's.

As the both turned back to face their friends, still hand in hand, Callum felt like he was going to burst with happiness. It was - Everything was _perfect._

"So… Do you like your surprise?" Rayla asked.

He couldn't fight down the laughter bubbling in his chest. "Like it?" He gave her hand a tight squeeze. "I _love_ it."

xXxXxXx

**Alternate title of this chapter could be "The Author Projects Onto Callum Way Too Much," lmao. It's above the love! The support! The choice to move forward!**

**Anyways. Have a very happy Halloween, guys, and stay safe out there! Wear your masks if you're going out and try to socially distance whenever possible. Merci pour lire! Au revoir!**


	30. in the quiet moments

**1\. You've probably heard people talk about minimum wage a hundred times before, so let's set the record straight: the U.S. minimum wage should be $15. The federal minimum wage is currently only $7.25 an hour, and it has been this low since 2009, despite the fact that prices have continued to increase since then (ex. the average house cost $209k in 2009 and now costs $362k in 2020). It's also worth noting that if the minimum wage had risen at the same pace as productivity since the Vietnam war, it would be over $20 an hour today, meaning $15 should be more than enough of a compromise between (ridiculous) partisan debates. Furthermore, there are 3.3 million workers in the U.S. that are paid ****_below_**** the federal minimum wage; 63% are women, over 50% are Black, and over 60% are Latine. And keep in mind that the people who make less than $15 an hour are also people we rely on to keep our lives running, such as fast food workers, childcare workers, and retail workers. If a fast food CEO makes $23.8 million a year while their employees are only making $16.9k a year, there's a problem. Think about it this way: if McDonald's raised their minimum wage to $15 an hour across the board, the price of a Big Mac would only increase by 17 cents. That's not even a quarter of a dollar! The bottom line? People working at least 40 hours a week should not be living in poverty. The U.S. needs to set a $15 minimum wage. (Condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram.)**

**Bonjour vous-autres! I hope you all had a very happy Halloween last week (I was barraged with atla asks on Tumblr, lol, which made it a very unique Halloween experience for me). Idk about y'all, but the talk of Christmas is already driving me up the wall. IT'S NOVEMBER. R. Anyways. This chapter is a soft one,, you will soon see why. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!**

xXxXxXx

Callum had planned with Rayla that they'd spend most of their homework session studying for the Renaissance History final, since it was the one subject they shared, but those plans changed after their class on Monday. Professor Nguyen had given an update on their life, as promised, as well as their new lecture about the commonalities between the treatment of Renaissance women and women of modern day. While the lecture itself hadn't been the cause of their changed plans, the fact that Professor Nguyen altered the assignment for their final as a result of the lecture _was _the deciding factor_. _Instead of a 200-question exam, they needed to write a minimum five-page reflection on that day's lecture.

If Callum was being honest, it was a generous change to their final. Five pages, especially when they had to be double-spaced, was not much. And Callum had been so shocked - probably more than he had any right to be, because it wasn't as if he was oblivious to modern sexism and misogyny - by Professor Nguyen's lecture that he'd written six pages the day the reflection had been assigned. It was a rare instance where words had come easily to him. Rayla and Sonya had done the same, and Callum would freely admit that they'd all cross-referenced each other's notes as they went. But long story short: they'd all finished the first draft of their final basically two weeks before it was due, and had thus arranged that they'd edit each other's papers the following weekend, which would give them plenty of time to make necessary changes and produce polished drafts.

It was a great system, really.

All together, that meant Callum had taken to focusing on his poetry and physics finals, while Rayla sat on his bed beside him and struggled with calculus.

"Why are integrals the _worst_ things in the world?" Rayla complained as she worked out the fifth or sixth practice problem on a worksheet she'd printed of close to twenty. "I remember thinking derivatives were bad." She sighed and shook her head, leaning back on the wall his bed rested against. "I was so young. So naive."

Callum snorted at her dramatic declaration, flipping over a notecard to see if he'd correctly remembered the formula he was quizzing himself on - he had. Sometimes it was very easy to remember his girlfriend used to be a theatre kid. "You only need to deal with them for two more weeks. Then you'll never have to take a math class again."

"Oh, I know. Longest two weeks of my life." She cursed, erasing all the work she'd done on the problem. "See, integrals really aren't _that _hard. I'd say for the most part, I do understand them. Especially because Dr. Harsch said we don't need to know trig substitution for the final. But I'm just rubbish at figuring out what integration technique I need to use for each expression! So every problem takes a million years because I end up testing all ten trillion methods."

"Did your professor not teach you about the best order to approach integrals?" Callum asked, skimming over a different flashcard. "Or ways to identify what techniques might apply per problem?"

"Uh… No?" She shrugged. "Not that I can remember. Dr. Harsch is an okay teacher, but he's a little absent-minded. And since my calc class is one for non-math majors, maybe he didn't think we needed to know that much?"

Callum nodded in understanding before winking at her. "Well, lucky for you, I'm great with integrals." He was always brushing up on his calculus because of his physics classes, anyway. He grabbed a blank index card and a pen, placing the former on top of his closed computer so he'd have something flat to write on. "My AP calculus teacher told us that the best order to approach integrals was this: reverse power rule, u-sub, partial fractions, integration by parts, and if all else fails, inverse trig." He made a numbered list of the methods as he spoke. "Good so far?"

Rayla nodded. "Yes. From the simplest technique to the most complicated, right?"

"Exactly." He flipped the index card over to the lined side. "But there are also some ways to identify what integration technique you should use before you actually start the problem, that way you don't have to go through this entire list every single time."

She gave him an amused smile. "Like how using partial fractions is only going to be effective with an integral involving a large fraction?"

Callum laughed. "Right. Some people like partial fractions for that exact reason - it's pretty easy to tell when you're going to use them." He wrote that tip on the first line of the index card. "But there are ways to help identify when to apply the other techniques, too." He glanced at her. "Before I tell you them, though, are there any you can think of off the top of your head?"

Rayla pursed her lips. "Uh. Are you going to think I'm stupid if I say no?"

Callum rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I already know how smart you are."

Rayla seemed to either disregard or not process his words, as she snapped her fingers as something occurred to her. "No, no! I do know one! I think." Embarrassment flickered across her features. "It's kind of obvious, though."

"Just because it's obvious doesn't mean it won't be helpful," he said, poising his pen over the index card to write. "Whatcha got?"

"Well, if the integral is just a polynomial, then reverse power rule should take care of it."

Callum nodded, writing her note down. "That's definitely an important one. You don't want to waste time trying every other method when a simple one will suffice." He paused to finish writing before turning back to face his girlfriend. "Anything else?"

Rayla hesitated, then shook her head. "Nope. That's the extent of my knowledge."

Callum laughed. "Understandable." He pushed his bangs out of his face with his free hand as he continued. "The other big thing to look for applies to integration by parts. If you see natural log, I can _guarantee_ you'll use integration by parts, since you're in calculus for non-math majors." He started writing his advice down. "And, in general, if you see a combination of expressions, like 'e' and 'sin', you're probably going to use integration by parts for that, too. Make sense?"

Rayla nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, that makes sense." She grinned, lightly elbowing him in the ribs. "Wow. I'm so lucky to have a boyfriend who's a genius. The smartest person and most talented artist in the entire world."

He flushed. "Hey - don't try to distract me. This is supposed to help you prepare for your final." He handed her the index card, which she accepted. "Uh. _Has_ it helped you?"

Rayla smiled at him. "Yes, very much so." She glanced down at the index card. "Is there a way to know if I'll ever need to use u-substitution?"

Callum chuckled, making a so-so gesture with his hand. "Sort of. U-sub is the most common integration technique, so it should be the default method you should try if the integral isn't just a basic polynomial and you don't see any other patterns."

Rayla nodded again. "So that means inverse trig is only for when I've exhausted every other option."

"Yep. Literally no one likes inverse trig." He shuddered. "Consider yourself lucky you don't need to know trig substitution. It's the worst."

She snorted. "Trust me. When I count my blessings, that's the first on the list." She rested her head on his shoulder as she returned to her worksheet, and Callum brought his attention back to his flashcards of physics formulas. His professor had said that he was still deciding on whether or not to give them an open-notes final. Callum had a feeling he probably would, but that didn't mean he was taking any chances.

Even if it meant studying so much his brain would ooze out of his ears. A necessary sacrifice, at the end of the day.

He did glance at Rayla every now and then, just to see how her calculus was coming along. She appeared to be working through the problem set more efficiently now, referring to her index card every so often, as if checking herself.

Callum eventually moved from studying formulas to solving problems on his own worksheet that his professor had provided, unable to stop satisfaction from blooming in his chest as he raced through them without having to check his list of formulas once. Studying plus paying attention in class was the most effective combination for learning and maintaining good grades. At least for him.

Plus sometimes playing the teacher's pet if the situation demanded it, of course.

"Ugh. Can we take a break?" Rayla groaned. "I think my eyes are going to fall out of my skull if I read over these notes again."

She'd shifted to rewriting and rereading a study packet for her women's and gender studies class, Callum realized. He grabbed his phone to check the time. "We only have another hour to go before we'll be leaving to pick up Claudia from rehearsal," he reasoned with her. "Surely you can last that long."

"Don't call me Shirley," she deadpanned, earning an eye roll from him. Then she sighed dramatically. "But I don't want to take a break _then_, when we're driving to Seton Hall. I want to take a break _now_, when we can relax."

He was tempted to relent. So, so incredibly tempted. "How about we stop in half an hour?" he suggested. "I want to get in at least a _little_ studying for my poetry final first."

Rayla's eyes lit up. "Ooh, can I help?"

Callum frowned. "I don't want to distract you from your own work."

Rayla waved her hand dismissively at his protest. "Consider it me returning the favor for your help with those integrals. It's - It's like equivalent exchange."

Well, how could he argue with that infallible logic? "Alright," he agreed, amused. "Let me pull the poems up." Rayla scooted closer to him as he opened his laptop and signed in, to the point where their shoulders were touching. Not that he was complaining.

But as his lockscreen lifted, he remembered the webpage that he currently had pulled up.

The KSU-XU exchange program.

Crap - he didn't want Rayla to see that yet. Not before he'd had a chance to properly talk to her about his thought process regarding the program. So Callum did the only logical thing.

He slammed his laptop shut and shoved it aside.

"Changed my mind!" he exclaimed, trying not to wince as his voice jumped at _least_ an octave higher than it needed to be. "Forget English. Who needs it? We can take a break now!" He cleared his throat. "You were right. We've been studying for hours, and we deserve a breather."

Rayla appeared - understandably - suspicious about his sudden change of heart, but evidently decided not to comment on it, as she instead moved all of their school and study materials to the foot of his bed before pushing him onto his back. His head landed in the center of his pillow.

Callum could feel his face reddening at her action, especially as she lay down next to him. "So… Is your idea of taking a break just taking a nap?"

"Mm… Yeah, pretty much." She turned on her side to face him directly. "I like being with you. In the quiet. Also, I love sleeping."

He followed suit, rolling over so they were properly lying face-to-face. "That's a fair assessment." He reached out to push her hair behind her ear. "And for the record, I like being with you, too." Of course, he liked being with Rayla more than _anything_. He liked hearing her laugh, seeing her smile, holding her hand - it wasn't an exaggeration to say a weight always disappeared from his shoulders when he was with her. And he was more than willing to go to Xadia University if it meant he could be with her for even just a year longer.

Yeah, he needed to tell her about the exchange program.

"Well, you've clearly got something on your mind," Rayla said with a chuckle. She reached out to lightly tap his nose. "I can see concentration all over your face. So spill it, anxious prince. I'm here to listen."

Callum couldn't help but smile at her comment. "How can you read me so well?"

She rolled her eyes. "I just told you. You're an open book." She hooked one of her legs over his, and he had to pretend the action hadn't made him blush cherry red, though her own face was similarly dusted with pink. "'Fess up. What are you thinking about?"

"How much you mean to me," he said honestly. Which was… well, at least _part _of what he'd been thinking about. Was lying by omission _really_ a thing? Nah. "And how… I want to be with you. Always."

Rayla's face darkened from pink to scarlet. "Is that a marriage proposal, Callum? Because I think we're a little young -"

"No, no," Callum interrupted, laughing. "If I were going to propose to you, it'd be way more romantic than _that_ -"

He was cut off by Rayla placing a hand on his chest as she moved in to press a soft kiss to his lips. "I mean, that seemed pretty romantic to me," she breathed as she pulled away. "Although I still recommend waiting a few years."

He flushed. "Then I'll remember that. For after we've graduated." He was surprised - or maybe not - by how sincere his words were. But silence followed, an almost weighty pause where neither of them spoke. Callum took a deep breath. "Can I - Can I ask you something?" He hastily added, "Not about marriage or proposals. Something else."

Rayla laughed. "Yes, of course you can."

He reached out to take her hand in his, gently tracing circles on her palm with his thumb. He needed to talk to her about the exchange program, yes, but… now didn't feel like the right time. Maybe he was just making excuses again.

And yet… "You don't have any morning classes on Friday, right?"

"No. Renaissance History is my first class on Fridays." Rayla frowned. "Why?"

Callum hesitated. "Do you… Would you mind coming with me to my mom's grave?" He could tell Rayla and his mother about the exchange program. At the same time. And he could finally introduce Rayla to his mom, too.

Rayla blinked, staring at him in shock. "Really? You're - You'd want me to come with you?"

Callum nodded, unable to stop himself from finding her surprise a little bit comical. "Yes. Trust me, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure."

Rayla's expression shifted to one so tender his heart practically melted in his chest. "Okay," she whispered, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'd be honored."

They talked for a little while longer, mostly about finals, but apparently they were more tired than they'd thought, because they soon found themselves drifting off to sleep. Of course, Callum was rudely awoken by his alarm about 20 or so minutes later, reminding him that they needed to leave and pick up Claudia from rehearsal. The blaring sound didn't wake Rayla, however, and neither did Callum jerking his arm out to snooze the annoying alarm on his phone. He knew they could spare another five minutes before they left.

Callum breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he successfully muted the sound. He then looked down at his girlfriend, who had nestled up to his chest in her sleep, a peaceful expression resting on her features. While it wasn't as if such proximity was new to either of them - it definitely wasn't - he didn't know if they'd ever fallen asleep together before.

He did know, however, that it was something he wouldn't mind doing again. Rayla was always beautiful, but there was a certain tranquility to her frame while she slept that made her appear… almost delicate. The slow rise and fall of her chest, the way she'd moved her body so close to his, the perfect fit of her head beneath his chin… It was an intimacy Callum was unfamiliar with, but one that made him fall in love with her all over again.

Hmm. He wondered if it was weird to be watching his girlfriend in her sleep…?

His alarm went off again, effectively disrupting his reverie. This time, Callum sat fully up to turn it off, though he was careful to do so without disturbing Rayla. He knew he'd have to wake her, but violently jolting her back to reality didn't seem like the right way to go about it.

He sent a quick text to Claudia, letting her know that they'd be leaving soon to get her. He returned his phone to the top of his desk before turning to look down at his girlfriend.

"Rayla," he said, gently shaking her shoulder. "Come on. We have to go get Claudia."

Rayla groaned, rolling over so her face was buried in his pillow. "No. Need more sleep."

He rolled his eyes, fighting back an amused smile. "You're the one who had the brilliant idea to take a thirty-minute nap while knowing very well you wouldn't have enough time to enter the REM stage of sleep." He started to swing his legs off his bed, but was stopped by Rayla sitting up to wrap her arms around his waist and pull him back towards her.

She rested her chin on his shoulder, nuzzling her face into his neck. "Five more minutes?"

Callum laughed. "Sorry. I already gave us five more minutes." But it was impossible for him to say no to her. Which she _knew_, and often weaponized against him. Not that he could blame her, because he'd probably do the same.

"If we're late," he warned as they got into the car ten - not five, but _ten_ \- minutes later, "I hope you know that I will hold you solely accountable."

Rayla snickered as she slung her schoolbag onto the floor of the passenger side before putting on her seatbelt. "Totally worth it."

They were _not_ late, as it happened, because his dorm really wasn't far from Seton Hall. And - more significantly - he'd overestimated how much time they'd need to get there, which of course earned him a good minute of teasing from Rayla. He supposed he deserved it.

"Do you want to go inside and wait?" Callum offered as he turned his car off and pulled the key out of the ignition. "Claudia says Ms. Secrest doesn't care if we sit in during rehearsals as long as we're quiet and don't disturb the cast. We'd basically be getting a sneak peak of the show."

"Their first performance is coming up pretty soon, isn't it?" Rayla mused as she climbed out of the car. "Opening night is the last day of this semester, which is the Friday before senior night. I think."

Callum frowned. 'Senior night'. He knew that term. He just couldn't at all remember what it meant or what it referred to. "What's -"

" - senior night?" Rayla finished, amused. "It's just the last home game of a season for seniors. The only one relevant to you is football, because of Soren. Coincidentally, senior night also happens to fall on KSU's _actual_ last game of the regular season this year." She grimaced. "Ugh. I feel like I didn't word that well. Did what I said make any sense?

Callum chucked. "Yes. You're fine."

"Good. I was worried all our studying had killed my brain."

"A valid concern."

"Thank you."

"If I'm honest, though, I do find it hard to believe that Claudia is somehow okay with missing the last game of the season for her show," Callum then commented as they headed towards the building's entrance. "Especially because Soren is a senior, like you said."

"She wasn't okay with it at first, actually. When the official performance dates were revealed, she seriously considered dropping out," Rayla explained, pausing on the doorstep. "But Soren convinced her to stay because she was so excited to be one of the witches. A couple weeks later, she managed to get permission to leave Saturday night immediately after her last scene, so she should catch the second half of the game and only miss curtain call." She hesitated before continuing. "I… don't know if you knew, but Claudia and Soren got into a pretty big fight with their dad about the show and the game being almost at the same time."

Callum winced. He didn't know specifically about any arguments, but Claudia had seemed more on edge the past few days, so maybe that was the reason behind it. Not to mention he had a bad feeling about what, exactly, the family's argument may have centered on. "Was it related to which one Viren could" - _should_ \- "go to?"

Rayla nodded. "He plans to go to Claudia's show. On senior night. He says he's not available any of the other dates, but…" She shook her head. "There's four different performances. The Thursday matinee through Sunday night. I can't help but feel like he's lying, you know?"

Callum _did_ know. And the fact that Rayla had spent far less time around Viren than he had and yet she still picked up the same eerie, malicious intent from the man spoke wonders about Viren's character. In the worst way possible. "Poor Soren. I don't think Viren's been to a single game all year."

Rayla shuddered. "I remember how angry Soren was at practice that day. After the argument. And - And it was so clear, at least to me, that his anger was really… He was just so sad, you know?" She pulled open the door to the building. "I wish there was something we could do, but…" She sighed. "And then Claudia is torn. I'm pretty sure she _does _believe her dad when he says that he's only available for the one night, so she's ecstatic that he's making time to come to her show, but she's also devastated for Soren, since Viren is missing _senior _night, of all games. And like you said - Viren hasn't been to any other game all year." She propped open the door behind her heel. "I think she's trying to convince him to come with her to catch the second half of the game, but…"

"But who knows if she'll have any luck?" Callum finished as he walked into the building.

Rayla nodded, moving her foot to let the door swing shut behind them. "Yep."

"Well, we'll just make sure to throw Soren a big party or something. After the game, I mean. Something to distract him for a little while."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Rayla agreed as they passed by empty classrooms. "Felix and I have already started plotting."

Callum laughed. "I should have expected that from you two, huh?"

"Yes, you should have."

All of that said, Callum had _not_ expected to walk into Claudia's rehearsal and see - speak of the devil and he shall appear? - Felix himself, sitting in the back of the room. He and Rayla did the logical thing, of course. They joined him immediately.

"So, did you also come to get a sneak peek of the big show?" Rayla whispered teasingly as she snagged the seat next to Felix, who jumped at her voice before his face broke out into a wide smile upon seeing her.

"You could say that." Felix gestured to the makeshift stage, where Dominic and someone with a buzzcut stood across from Claudia, Emilé, and a girl with long, curly red hair that looked vaguely familiar, though Callum couldn't place where he'd seen her before. They were presumably running through the scene where Macbeth and Banquo first encountered the witches. "I'm also Dominic's ride home, so I didn't have much of a choice but to be here."

"Oh, because you were the _only_ one available to give him a ride?" Rayla said, winking at him. "Let me guess: you eagerly volunteered when Dominic asked before anyone else could get an offer in."

Felix flushed. "I'm just trying to be a good friend. If I'm in the area, then I might as well play taxi."

Rayla snorted. "Sure. And Dominic pays you just by smiling in your general direction, right?"

Felix's face turned an even darker red, if that was possible. "Ha ha. You think you're so funny."

Rayla snickered. "I don't think, Felix - I know." She then seemed to decide that she'd teased him enough - while Callum was pretty confused about the entire interaction he'd just witnessed - as she leaned back in her seat and gestured to her boyfriend. "Callum and I are here to pick up Claudia."

Callum leaned forward to give Felix a small wave. "Heyo."

Felix nodded and smiled in response, returning the wave. "Nice. You know, it's been a while since I've seen you both!"

Rayla snorted. "Felix. It's been maybe five days since the art showcase."

"And that's five days too many, Rayla!"

From the corner where they sat, Callum was able to see just a smidgen into the 'wings' on stage left, and he noticed Sonya there, her pink hijab making her easily identifiable. She appeared to be talking to someone through a headset while messing with a box of switches on the wall. He couldn't help but smile as she worked - it looked like Claudia had convinced her to help run tech after all.

They chatted quietly with Felix a while longer, pausing every now and then to glance at the stage whenever something caught their eye. Callum found himself particularly enraptured by the witches' chanting - Claudia really was a phenomenal actress. Felix seemed to pay most attention to Dominic, which was understandable, in Callum's opinion, because Dominic's reactions were a dozen times more genuine than the actor playing Banquo.

Eventually Ms. Secrest clapped her hands together and shouted, "That's the ticket!" before dismissing the cast and crew from rehearsal. Callum and Rayla exchanged parting words with Felix before going their separate ways to pick up their respective friends.

"I noticed you guys in the back towards the end of rehearsal," Claudia said eagerly as they headed outside toward Callum's car. "I have to ask - what did you think?"

"I think that I am _very_ excited to see the final show," Rayla said with a wide smile. "Plus, it'll be the first Shakespeare production I've ever seen performed live!"

Claudia wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. "I am _honored_ to be your first."

Callum wrinkled his nose as he unlocked his car. "Clauds, you have to know how that sounds."

"Yes, but I have chosen to live a life of no regrets, and thus I refuse to recant it."

How very Claudia.

As Callum drove the two girls back to their dorm, their lighthearted teasing and excited chatter about theatre reminded him that although he hardly knew a single thing about Shakespeare, he wouldn't want his friends to be any other way. Variety truly was the spice of life.

xXxXxXx

**I don't think y'all understand that I had to ****_physically _****restrain myself from making a "haha they're gonna sleep together this chapter you guys ;)" in my first A/N. I'm sure you're all relieved I spared you of that terrible, cringeworthy joke, lmao. But like for real. Non-sexual intimacy is,, it's just so good. So soft. So gentle. I love to see it, and I hope you did, too! Thank you for reading!**


	31. everything is fine i'm with you

**1\. It's very important to me that the relationships I portray in my writing are healthy and mutual. As you know, however, I currently don't broach any content above PG-13 (just ain't my thing). So allow me to give you a rundown of consent! For one, consent does not just apply to sexual intimacy - consent can apply to any aspect of your life/relationships (ex. if someone wants a hug, but you don't want to hug them, you can refuse to consent and thus not give them a hug; there's nothing wrong with that!). But in terms of sexual intimacy, RAINN defines consent as this: "Consent is an agreement between participants to engage in sexual activity. Consent should be clearly and freely communicated." Generally speaking, consent is a decisive, well-discussed "yes" from both parties. A lack of a "no" is NOT consent. If one party is a minor or is intoxicated/otherwise incapacitated, they CANNOT give consent. If someone is forced to say "yes," that is NOT consent. Furthermore, giving consent one time does NOT mean you have given consent for future activities; consent must be established each and every time. Consent can also be revoked at any point; there is nothing wrong with changing your mind and letting your partner know you want to stop. When it comes to consent, remember FRIES: consent is Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic, and Specific! (Information condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram and RAINN.)**

**2\. Sexual violence resources, whether you want to educate yourself or are seeking assistance: RAINN, NSVRC, 1in6, VictimConnect, and the National Sexual Assault Hotline in the US at (800) 656-4673.**

**Bonjour vous-autres! This chapter is a soft one, and probably one of my favorites. Also,, I cannot believe we've only got ten chapters left (well, nine and an epilogue). I mean, WHAT?! That blows my mind. I appreciate y'all's support more than I can say, and I sincerely hope you stick around until the end of this story. Enjoy the chapter!**

xXxXxXx

_Rayla: do you want me to wear black?_

_Callum: if you want. my mom never cared much about that stuff_

_Rayla: okay. see you soon_

If Callum was being honest, he hadn't even considered wearing black to visit his mother's grave. He was focused on just being able to - able to speak to her and Rayla at the same time. It was probably ridiculous and unnecessary and pointless, but… he still wanted to do it. It was important to him, for reasons he didn't - no, _couldn't_ fully articulate.

He did end up wearing a nice black shirt beneath his typical blue jacket, though try as he might, Callum couldn't bring himself to wear slacks. He didn't want to look _too_ formal, especially because he'd just told Rayla that she didn't have to wear black if she wasn't comfortable with it.

Callum was nervous, to say the least. For one, it had been a long time since he'd visited his mom's grave. Harrow tried to organize it so they went once every year or two, most often at or around her birthday because that was when Aunt Amaya tended to be in town. That meant it had been well over 700 days since Callum had last visited. He wondered if his stepdad had planned a trip to the cemetery this year, or if he'd pushed it back to late December so they could visit with Amaya as they usually did, seeing as she'd already flown out of town. Or wait - wasn't she returning in January because of the possibility of the championship? Would they not visit until the new year, then?

Ugh. He'd just play it by ear.

Also, Callum was more than a little anxious to talk about KSU's exchange program with Xadia University. Sure, he was pretty confident on a personal level that he wanted to apply, but there was really no one else's opinion he cared about more than Rayla's. And if she didn't want him to apply, then he wouldn't. He knew that there was a chance Runaan's… er, negativity was still weighing heavy on her mind. The only thing he wanted from her was honesty, favorable or no.

Callum wound up so caught in his thoughts that he ended up leaving for Rayla's dorm later than he'd planned. As per usual, Rayla was already waiting outside when he arrived, her hair blowing in the chilly early-December wind.

"Three minutes late," Rayla said appraisingly as she climbed into the passenger seat. "Are you feeling okay, Callum?"

He could hear the concern in her voice, though she layered teasing amusement over it. He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "Yep. All good."

Rayla's gaze softened. He noticed as she buckled in that she had a bouquet of pink carnations and lilies with her. To place on his mother's grave, he realized a second later. "This is really important to you," Rayla explained, not missing how his gaze followed the flowers as she rested them on her lap. Her words were a statement, not a question. She placed a hand on his knee. "Thank you for asking me to come. It means a lot."

Was it weird that her sincerity almost made him want to cry? "Thank you for agreeing." Callum leaned forward, cupping her face with his right hand to capture her lips in a slow, tender kiss. He'd never been great at conveying his feelings through words, and he hoped his action said everything he didn't know how to. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Rayla chuckled, reaching to move his bangs out of his face. "You'd manage. But your life would be far more miserable without me in it."

Callum couldn't help but laugh as he turned back to face the steering wheel, glancing up at the rearview mirror while he backed out of his parking spot. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

His mom's grave was in a cemetery near the outskirts of town, about an hour trip there and back. Not that he and Rayla had any trouble passing that time - he was pretty sure they griped about finals for fifteen minutes straight on the way there. Truly the college experience at its finest.

Every so often, usually whenever they stopped at red lights, Rayla would show him a meme or an Instagram post from one of their friends. Emilé had posted a massive rant on their spam about a quote 'Karen' who had not understood that to have the floors in her house cleaned, she needed to provide the cleaning service her address, because she couldn't exactly bring the floors _to _them, could she?!

Poor Emilé. Callum didn't think he'd ever be able to work in retail or customer service.

"Hey," Rayla asked when they were about ten minutes away. "Can you… tell me what your mom was like?"

Callum glanced at her in surprise before quickly returning his attention to the road. "Oh - uh, sure. If you really want to know."

Rayla rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't really want to know, Callum."

"Right. Of course. That makes sense." He absentmindedly tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. "Well, she and Aunt Amaya served in the military together. They were only a year or two apart, so Aunt Amaya says when they were little they were always at each other's throats, and then once they got older, they were closer than anyone."

Rayla chuckled. "Does that mean you and Ezran will be at each other's throats when you're older, since you're so close right now?"

Callum sent her a disapproving look. "Don't you dare suggest Ez and I will ever grow apart." She snickered again before he continued. "Anyways. My mom had a massive sweet tooth, just like Ez. Her favorite kind of jelly tart was one that had poppy seed and honey. It was always too sweet for me, but Ezran loves them almost as much as she did." Callum knew a smile was inching onto his face. He didn't mind. "She was also _really_ opinionated. And she was never afraid to share those opinions, either. She loved getting the last word. In her defense, she was usually right about whatever she was arguing."

"Hmm, sounds like a certain sad prince I know," Rayla mused before not-so-slyly winking at him. "But do continue."

Callum rolled his eyes at her teasing, though he couldn't stop himself from smiling. "Anyways. She also loved horseback riding. She'd always wanted to own a horse, but when we had to move further into the city because Harrow was appointed head of KSU, she said that she'd 'make do with visiting a horse park twice a month' instead."

Rayla nodded. "She sounds like she was able to adapt to change pretty easily."

"Yep." Callum had always wished he'd inherited that particular gift from her.

Rayla hesitated, then added, "I was wondering… is today a special day? Like, related to your mom? An anniversary or something?"

"Uh…" Callum shook his head. "If it is, I don't know it. I mean, her birthday is tomorrow, but that's coincidental." He could feel his grip on the steering wheel unconsciously tighten. "I… I don't really have a specific reason for choosing to visit her _today_, if that's what you're getting at." Besides them both not having any morning classes, that was. "It just… felt right." Plus, he knew that if he postponed talking about the exchange program any longer, he might explode.

Rayla gave him a soft smile. "That's okay. You don't need to bend over backwards explaining yourself to me. If today is right, then it's right. That's enough of a reason in my book."

Callum couldn't help but give her a grateful - and relieved - smile. "How did I get so lucky as to have the most amazing girlfriend in the world?"

Rayla laughed. "You wouldn't believe it, but I ask the same thing every day about my amazing boyfriend. Funny how that works, huh?"

They arrived at the cemetery a minute or so later. There were only two other cars in the parking lot. Not that the lack of visitors was particularly surprising to Callum. It was still early in the morning, and it was a cold, overcast December day. Not the most picturesque time to visit a loved one's grave.

Callum made sure he had his satchel and sketchbook before he got out of the car, and he retrieved a blanket from the trunk after doing so. He slipped his free hand into Rayla's as they entered the cemetery beneath the rusted white gate, which creaked as the wind opened and closed it.

"Sorry for choosing a day with miserable weather," Callum said with an embarrassed smile as they headed to the back. "I probably should have checked the weekly forecast. But my mom's grave is near a tree, so I think we'll be partially shielded from the wind."

Rayla chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind the breeze." Her statement was only reinforced by the fact that the black jumper she wore had no sleeves, though she did have a cardigan tied around her waist, presumably for the off chance she did get cold.

They spread the blanket on the ground in front of Sarai's grave. Her headstone was simple, as she'd never really been someone for unnecessarily-grand design. There was a relatively fresh bouquet of flowers lying next to it, and Callum wondered if his aunt had chosen to stop by on her own before she'd flown out of Katolis earlier in the week.

They sat down on the blanket, and Rayla placed her bouquet to the side. Callum took his sketchbook out of his bag before opening it to a picture he'd drawn of his mother and resting it against the headstone. It felt… well, definitely a little bit silly, but he preferred talking to a sketch of her much more than he did talking to her name engraved in a hunk of marble.

Callum promptly realized he had no idea where he wanted to begin.

Rayla seemed to pick up on his anxiety, as she placed her hand on top of his and gave it a gentle squeeze. _Whenever you're ready_ went unspoken, although he could have sworn he heard the words clear as day.

"Hi, Mom," he finally said, feeling some of the stiffness ease from his shoulders just by allowing himself to speak those first two words. "I brought someone to visit you with me today. Someone you've never met before." He glanced at his girlfriend, and she gave him a reassuring smile. "Her name is Rayla. She's… She's one of the most important people in my life. We've been dating for…" He tilted his head as he quickly went over the semester in his mind, not wanting to incorrectly estimate how long they'd been together. "Almost three months? Exactly three months in a few days, I think." Huh. Their three-month anniversary almost fell exactly on his mom's birthday. Maybe the coincidence was a sign from the universe that she approved?

Rayla nodded as he'd pondered over the dates, reassuring him that he hadn't miscounted.

Callum found himself smiling at her before he turned back to face the picture of his mother. "You'd love her, Mom. Rayla's smart, strong, funny, ridiculously talented at everything she tries… And she's never given up on me. About anything." He chuckled. "She also doesn't put up with my bullshit. I know you'd appreciate that, since Aunt Amaya says you never put up with Dad's bullshit, either." And that went for both of his dads. He glanced at Rayla again. "Not to mention she's the most beautiful person in the world. Like, all the time. Completely effortless."

Rayla flushed. "Callum -"

"I'll go pick her up from football practice, and she'll have just changed out of her uniform, yet she still takes my breath away every time." Ha, Callum loved how cute his girlfriend looked when she was flustered. But he supposed he'd let her off with only light teasing. "Also, I should have said this in the beginning, but she's an awesome football player. I think the only person who might be better than her is Soren, but that's not really a fair comparison because he's quarterback and she's a wide receiver, which are very different positions." He shook his head. "Anyways. My point is that she's the most amazing person I've ever met, and I know you'd love her as much as I do."

Rayla rolled her eyes, still blushing. "To be fair, my great stats are only possible because Soren is such a good quarterback. So it's a team effort."

"She's just being modest," Callum said in a mock-whisper, earning another eye roll from his girlfriend. "Rayla is head and shoulders above every other wide receiver in the country."

Rayla laughed, gently elbowing his arm. "You'd better stop before you inflate my ego so much I float away."

Callum snickered before he returned his focus to the sketch of his mom. "Anyways. Like I said - Rayla is the most amazing person I've ever met." His hand that wasn't beneath Rayla's tightly clenched the blanket they were sitting on. "She… She makes me feel good about the world and my place in it. It's hard to explain, but she does. And…" He turned to look at his girlfriend, his heart seizing in his chest as he found himself completely overwhelmed by her presence. "And I love her. So much. I really, really do."

Rayla stared at him, then used her free hand to wipe away the beginnings of tears from her eyes. "Stupid prince," she murmured affectionately before she turned to look at the picture of his mother. "And I love Callum, too. So much." She rested her head on his shoulder. "You'd be so proud of him, Miss Sarai. Callum is the smartest, kindest, and dorkiest person I've ever known. Which are all compliments, before he starts trying to complain about the last one."

Actually, he had _not_ been going to complain about being called dorky. How rude of her to assume so.

Okay. Maybe that was a lie. But he hadn't been going to complain _much_.

"He's always there for me, even when I'm acting like a major jerk." Rayla laughed. "He's genuinely just the most selfless and supportive person I know. It's incredible."

Callum knew his face was growing red. "I think you're exaggerating a little bit -"

"Shh!" she interrupted, making a zipping motion across her lips. "It's my turn to brag about you. This is not up for debate."

Well, he knew better than to argue with her.

"As I was saying, Callum is amazing. He's the most talented artist in all of Katolis. Probably in the whole world! I bet you knew how good he was going to get after you saw what he was able to do as a kid, but I still feel like he's a hundred times better than anyone could have imagined. He's definitely going to be famous someday."

Callum rolled his eyes. He was not _that_ good, flattering as it was to hear.

"He's also super smart in every subject, even if he says he's awful at English," Rayla continued. "And if it weren't for him, I'd probably have flunked out of calculus by now. But even though he's the most brilliant person to ever exist, he never brags or acts arrogant or anything like that, so…" A soft smile formed on her lips. "You and Professor Harrow definitely raised him well." He felt her grip on his hand suddenly tighten - not enough to be painful, but enough that it was impossible not to notice. "Also… Callum always stays by my side. Even people are - are the worst, basically… he never leaves me to face it alone. So he's smart, kind, _and_ caring. I… I trust him more than anyone else." She took a deep breath. "What I'm getting to is… thank you. I don't know if he'd be my friend right now if he hadn't had a mother like you."

God, Callum should have brought some tissues. At least the constant blowing of the wind kept his face dry. "There's something else I wanted to talk about, too," he said after a pause, turning his hand over on the blanket to properly intertwine his fingers with his girlfriend's. "Rayla is from Xadia, Mom."

His girlfriend stiffened, lifting her head from his shoulder. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

"I feel like the first time you heard that, it might come as a shock," Callum admitted. "But I know you aren't the kind of person to let your first impression of someone set the forever standard for how you judge their character. And you'd realize - probably really quickly - that she's the most incredible person in the world, regardless of the fact that she's Xadia. Only…" He took a deep breath. This was it. No backing out now. "It _does_ matter that she's Xadian. It matters because people - people from Katolis - treat her differently as a result. It matters because being Xadian, being a Moonshadow, is an important _part_ of her. It matters because… because she's gone through so much at KSU, and even though she shouldn't _have_ to and it's not fair that she has, she's still found a silver lining each time. Rayla is Xadian, and - and I _love_ that about her." Callum turned to face his girlfriend, taking both of her hands in his own. "Rayla, I want to go to Xadia with you next year. I can apply for the same exchange program you did, and if I get accepted, I'll spend my sophomore year at Xadia University. I _know_ this is something I want to do. But your opinion matters to me more than anyone else's. So." He gave her a tentative smile. "Do you want me to apply?"

Rayla was staring at him in utter shock, and part of him was worried that she hadn't processed a single word he'd said. "Is… Is this a joke?" she finally managed to say. "Are - Are you serious right now? You really want to come to Xadia? With me? Even though Runaan…" She didn't finish her final sentence. Not that she needed to.

Callum couldn't help but laugh. "No, it's not a joke. I've been researching the application for weeks. Yes, I _really_ want to go to Xadia University with you. I don't care what Runaan thinks. So if you say the word… I'll apply."

Sheer excitement lit up on Rayla's face, and God if it wasn't the most beautiful thing Callum had ever seen. "Yes. Yes!" she exclaimed, practically tackling him into a hug. "Please apply! There's - There's so much I could show you, and so many people I want you to meet, and -" She shook her head, cutting herself off before tightening the hug. "We'd have another year together. An _entire_ year."

Callum wrapped his arms around her in response. "Don't get too excited," he teased, almost breathless. "I have to apply first, and even then I might not be accepted."

"Shut up, you dummy," she grumbled, though there was no real anger in her voice. "Let me have this moment."

He chuckled, squeezing her tighter. "I can't wait to spend a year in Xadia with you."

Rayla buried her face in his shoulder. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," he breathed. He didn't know what else to say. Then again, maybe nothing else needed to be said.

After a long pause, Rayla released him from the hug, reaching up to gently cup his face in her hands. "Your mother really would be _so_ proud of you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. It was nearly lost in the wind.

Callum smiled at her, his hands falling to rest on her waist. "Thank you, Rayla."

And with that… The weight on his shoulders was finally lifted.

xXxXxXx

**They're so in love it's ridiculous. RIDICULOUS. Also, quick PSA: I might have to take a one-off break from updating soon. The next few weeks should be okay, but I might choose to not update the week of finals (so, early December). We'll see, though! Maybe I'll manage my time like a boss and it will work out, lol. I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! Thank you for reading!**


	32. if you feel a sob or tear

**1\. Yesterday, November 20th, was Transgender Day of Remembrance. Transgender Day of Remembrance was started in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed in 1998. The vigil commemorated all the transgender people lost to violence since Rita Hester's death, and began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. For 2020, GLAAD spotlights the following victims in America, many of whom are transgender women of color (and they further note that violent crimes against trans people are often misreported, go underreported, or are not reported at all): Yunieski Carey Herrera, Angel Unique, Sara Blackwood, Brooklyn Deshuna, Felycya Harris, Michelle Michellyn Ramos Vargas, Mia Green, Aerrion Burnett, Kee Sam, Lea Rayshon Daye, Aja Raquell Rhone-Spears, Queasha D Hardy, Dior H Ova / Tiffany Harris, Marilyn Cazares, Summer Taylor, Bree Black, Shaki Peters, Merci Mack, Brayla Stone, Brian 'Egypt' Powers, Selena Reyes-Hernandez, Jayne Thompson, Riah Milton, Dominique "Rem'mie" Fells, Tony McDade, Helle Jae O'Regan, Nina Pop, Penélope Díaz Ramírez, Layla Pelaez Sánchez, Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos, Johanna Metzger, Lexi, Monika Diamond, Scott/Scottlynn Devore, Yampi Méndez Arocho, Neulisa Luciano Ruiz, and Dustin Parker. We remember their names, and we continue to fight for transgender rights across the globe. (Information condensed from GLAAD.)**

**In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, I would like to remind y'all that three of my major OCs are trans - Professor Nguyen is agender (they/them pronouns), Dominic is a trans man (he/him pronouns), and Emilé is nonbinary (they/them pronouns). Mx. Irene, whom I mentioned in the Halloween chapter, is also nonbinary (xe/xem pronouns). While my story is obviously fictional and lighthearted, violence against trans individuals is a very real and very major issue, so I encourage you guys to take a few minutes out of your weekend to research and see what you personally can do to support the trans community. With that, I hope you enjoy the chapter! (I know I say this every time, lmao, but I think this chapter is one of my favorites.)**

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Callum could _not_ thermoregulate. Sometimes he questioned if he was the first cold-blooded mammal, because the second the temperature dropped below 50, he had to bundle up in seven layers or else he'd freeze to death before two minutes passed. Which made it an even funnier twist of fate that his girlfriend was practically a walking space heater. Rayla had once joked that she could change the temperature of a room just by standing in it. Or rather, he'd thought she was joking at the time, but he had since determined that not only had she been dead serious, but what she'd said was _true_. It didn't seem humanly possible, and yet there she was, radiating warmth like a nuclear power plant.

Regardless, it was because of Callum's inability to thermoregulate that he had on several extra layers as he sat on a bench outside of Acadian Hall waiting for Rayla to complete her women's and gender studies final. His scarf was wrapped around his neck and pulled up over his chin. A thermos of steaming tea rested beside him. He refused to succumb to the cold.

That said, Callum was starting to regret not going inside the building to wait. He just hadn't wanted to risk striking up a conversation with someone he didn't know or only knew in passing. At least outside he could have his headphones in while he studied for his philosophy exam and thus no one would disturb him.

Well, people would be _less_ likely to disturb him.

Callum hoped, at least.

He and Rayla each had one final left to take, both the next day. It would have been two, but since Professor Nguyen had changed their Renaissance History final, they - and Sonya - had turned in their required reflections earlier that week. He knew Claudia still had three exams to go, which she was _not_ happy about, especially because the final two were both on Friday, more importantly known as opening night of Macbeth. She'd tried to arrange it to where she could take those exams early, but her professors had refused, and apparently had been pretty rude in doing so, too.

Callum had thus made a mental note not to take those particular classes as a sophomore. Although, if he was in Xadia next year like he hoped to be, then that wasn't really something he would have to worry about.

He'd started working on his application for the exchange program the day Rayla had confirmed that she wanted him to apply. He'd asked Professor Dup - Professor _Nguyen _to write one of his required teacher recommendations, but for the other he was torn between asking Harrow and asking his physics professor. Getting his stepdad to write one was probably a bit cheat-y, but to have a glowing recommendation from the head of the college would look damn good on his application, especially considering that Harrow was also a president fairly active in the goings-on of KSU.

That said, Callum also knew there was tremendous value to having a recommendation from both a humanities and a STEM teacher, so _that _tipped the scales in favor of his physics professor. Not to mention physics was - currently, at least - his major. His physics professor could also better articulate Callum's classroom experiences than Harrow could, since his stepdad had never worked with him in class.

Because of his debilitating indecisiveness, Callum had ultimately focused on the other aspects of the applications, like the section where he had to list his GPA, test scores, and outline awards he'd won, as well as the personal interest questions. He was avoiding the essay, mostly because he hated essays and he was still just plain tired of _writing_ them. He'd only had his poetry final a day ago.

Also, he couldn't deny that he wanted Rayla's help with the essay, too. She was just… so _good _at writing. It was almost ridiculous. He loved her for it.

Callum shook his head, returning his focus to his philosophy notes. He'd allowed his thoughts to wander for _way_ too long there. He was supposed to be studying, not contemplating literally any other subject in the world.

He did allow himself to quickly check the time on his phone - Rayla still wouldn't be out for another fifteen minutes.

"Callum? Is that you?"

Huh. Had someone just called his name, or was that an unusual part of the _Be More Chill_ soundtrack he'd never noticed before?

Callum looked up, pulling one of his headphones out and blinking in surprise as he realized who it was that had spoken to him. "Soren?" He paused the song that was playing before taking out his other earbud. "What are you doing here?"

Soren gestured vaguely around him, taking his own headphones off and draping them around his neck. "Just going for a jog. Weather's nice. And it's still early enough where there's not too many people around." He shrugged. "You know. Clearing my head a little bit."

He was wearing a muscle shirt and shorts, which seemed to reinforce his jogging explanation as the truth. Not that Callum thought Soren was lying - Claudia had just been trying to get him into true crime podcasts lately. He was starting to question everything.

But beyond his friend's clothing, there was a certain heaviness behind Soren's eyes that Callum was not used to seeing. He tilted his head. "Something important on your mind?"

Soren shrugged again. "Eh. You could say that." He gave him a crooked smile. "It's been a wild first semester for you, hasn't it?"

Callum chuckled. "Well, yeah. You could say that."

Soren shook his head, amused, as Callum flipped his words on him. "Touché." He cleared his throat. "So, have you finished your finals yet? Claudia still has a few."

Callum patted the empty spot next to him on the bench. Soren acknowledged the cue and sat down. "I've finished for today, but Rayla and I each have one more exam tomorrow. Then we'll both be completely done."

Soren nodded. "Nice, nice. I'm sure you'll both ace them."

Callum grinned at him. "I appreciate your confidence in us." He closed his philosophy binder. "What about you? Any finals left?"

Soren shook his head, returning his grin with a broad one of his own. "Nope. Gotta love being a senior when you've scheduled well - less hours, fewer classes, done with finals before everyone else."

Callum laughed. "Right. I get it. That means I have a million more semesters to go before I'll reach that point."

"Maybe, but you'll get there eventually." Soren leaned back onto the bench, pushing his hair out of his face. "Anyways. Enough about finals. Is there anything exciting going on with you?" He snorted. "Wow. We really haven't had a chance to talk in _ages_, have we?"

Soren was right - they hadn't. For one, the age gap and differing majors between them meant they didn't run into each other on campus often, much less have any classes together. Two, _that _meant the only time they interacted was at football practice, but even then - Callum wasn't going to lie to himself - he tended to be distracted by his amazingly talented girlfriend.

"Uh… Nothing I can think of off the top of my head?" Callum chuckled. "Yeah, no. I don't get out much."

Soren snorted. "Come on, dude. There's gotta be something. Not even _you _spend every second of your life studying."

Callum chewed his bottom lip. Because of finals, he kind of _had_ been spending every second studying… or so it felt, anyways. He'd also been talking with Sonya almost every day about _Macbeth_. Apparently the person who was supposed to run lighting for the show was being a major pain and trying to change her designs for key scenes. Callum was more than willing to let her rant to him. Claudia had offhandedly informed him, too, that she had a group chat with Dominic and Emilé for a similar purpose of complaining about annoying cast members.

"Oh!" Callum snapped his fingers as a lightbulb went off in his mind. "I don't know if you remember me talking to you and Claudia about this ages ago, but I started on my application for the exchange program with Xadia University."

Hell, he was getting close to _finishing_ it, except for the teacher recommendations and the essay. The application was due the first week of January, after all, and he preferred the idea of having submitted it by the end of December. That way he wouldn't need to think about it any longer than necessary. Harrow had also told him that he'd learn if he was accepted or not around the beginning of February. Which Callum had initially thought was a fast turnaround, but his dad had proceeded to remind him of just how much paperwork had to be completed and processed before someone from Katolis could travel to Xadia, and the haste made more sense.

Not to mention it was… unlikely a tremendous amount of students would apply in the first place.

Soren beamed at him, lightly punching his shoulder. "Yo, that's awesome! When you're in Xadia, you'd better take a crap ton of pictures, or else Claudia and I will never forgive you."

Callum laughed. "Wow. Everyone's going to think I'm some sad, pathetic tourist." He paused, then added jokingly, "You know, why don't you come with me? Take a gap year before you join the NFL or go to grad school!"

Soren stroked his chin, apparently taking his comment more seriously than Callum had intended it. "I can't lie, I really am thinking about taking a gap year," he admitted. "I feel like I could use that time to figure out my life without my dad and Clauds - even though I love her - dogging on my heels." Something in his friend's eyes darkened when he mentioned Viren, and Callum couldn't help but wonder what Soren's father had done - or _hadn't _done - now.

Callum shrugged. "It's your life, Soren. You should do whatever you need." He silently hoped that was the right thing to say.

Soren smiled at him, so it seemed like it was. "Thanks. I appreciate the vote of confidence." Then he chuckled. "Still. I don't know if _Xadia_ would be the right place for me to take a gap year. I feel like staying there might only stress me out more."

Callum snickered at that. "Fair point. Maybe you need to go someplace more relaxing. Like a beach."

"Hey, if you can think of somewhere affordable with nice beaches to take a gap year in, let me know." Soren paused, then smirked at him. "Oho. Wait a minute. You're going to have _Rayla_ with you while you're in Xadia." He laughed at Callum's disgruntled expression. "Hey - at least she can scare off anyone who tries to label you as a tourist." Soren's smirk then shifted to a genuine smile. "And congrats to you guys on three months, right?" He frowned. "Wait. No. If it's mid-December, then you're like, halfway between milestones. So… happy late three months and… early four months?"

Callum burst out laughing. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed talking with Soren. "Close enough. Thank you kindly, sir."

"Hold on. I'm curious now. Do you guys do anything for your anniversaries?" Soren asked, again stroking the stubble on his chin. "No judgment either way, of course. I just don't remember either of you mentioning any plans."

Callum had to consider the question before answering. "Sort of," was what he decided on. "We've always spent our anniversaries with each other, but we haven't necessarily done anything _big_. If that makes sense."

Soren nodded. "Totally valid. Whatever works for you."

Hmm.

Now Callum was…well, tempted to maybe do something more. He knew Rayla didn't particularly care either way - her laid-back attitude was one of many things he adored about her - but since the seed had been planted… "Do you think I should get her something special for our… er, four-month-iversary?"

"That could be cool," Soren affirmed with a nod. His eyes lit up. "Oh, you could even give it to her on New Year's! That's only a couple days before the date of your actual anniversary, right?"

Callum couldn't stop himself from grinning at the thought. "That _would_ be pretty amazing." He chuckled. "Now I just have to figure out _what _to get her. And then actually buy it." He could always give her one of his sketches because of the 'handmade' element associated with it, but he admittedly gave his art to a _lot_ of people as gifts. So maybe one or two sketches, then, plus something… else?

"You'll think of something," Soren reassured him, pulling Callum out of his thoughts. "And I bet Rayla will love literally anything you get her. You could give her" - he fumbled for words - "like, you could give her a bale of hay and she'd adore it."

Soren's example didn't exactly make Callum _less _nervous about the prospect, but he appreciated the effort nonetheless.

"Oh, congrats to you, too!" he said, changing the subject. "KSU is going to the playoffs for the first time in… er, ages, right?" He waited for Soren to give an affirming nod before he continued. "Rayla says that every sports station in Katolis is abuzz with how you've led the team to victory after victory this year."

She'd also told him - privately - that Soren's rise to fame meant they were focusing less on her as the 'only Xadian' and 'only girl' on any college team, which she was grateful for. They still talked about her some, of course, but apparently not as much as before, which was good enough for Rayla.

Something akin to frustration flickered across Soren's face. "Right," he said, his voice… stiffer. "Yeah. We're, uh, we're guaranteed a seat in the playoffs because of the difficulty of our schedule, even if we lose the last game this Saturday. It's just down to whether we're given the fourth or first spot in the bracket." He gave Callum a tight smile. "Thanks."

Okay. Callum had clearly struck a sensitive nerve by bringing up football, and he wasn't entirely sure how to address that. Change the subject again? Push the conversation forward? Forget this tangent had ever happened?

No. Soren was his friend. He should be there for him if Soren needed it.

"Did… Is something wrong?" Callum asked tentatively. He hesitated before forcing himself to add, "Something… related to your dad?"

Soren flinched, and Callum knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "Yeah," his friend admitted quietly. "He's just… being himself, really." He chuckled, but his laughter lacked its normal infectious energy. It was… weaker, somehow. "Which kind of makes it worse."

Callum bit his bottom lip. "I understand if it's too personal," he said slowly, "but… you can talk to me about it, you know. If you want to. I've been told that I'm good at listening."

Soren sighed, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his thighs. "Let's just say that I can't wait to graduate and get the hell out of here. I'm either leaving Katolis completely or at least moving to another city. I'm done."

It sounded like Soren had been considering a gap year much, much longer than he'd let anyone know.

Callum blinked, somewhat surprised by his friend's intensity. Though the longer he thought about it… maybe he had no reason to be. "Do you… did Viren do something in particular?"

Soren shrugged. "I'd say it's more like the culmination of 22 years of bad parenting, and I just don't want to deal with it anymore." He glanced at Callum, his shoulders sagging. "But… yeah. He did do something." He laughed bitterly. "Actually, I guess it's more what he _didn't _do. As per usual."

Callum said nothing, simply giving his friend a small nod. Soren deserved to tell him solely of his own accord - he wasn't going to put any unnecessary pressure on him to continue.

Soren sighed again, and he wiped at his eyes with his left hand. "So… you've probably heard this from Claudia or Rayla already, but he's not coming to senior night. Which would have been fine, I guess, because there's at least one more game before my senior season will technically be over. But…" He paused, taking in a sharp breath. "This morning he told me that he can't go to the playoff game. Or the championship one. Because they would require him to fly out of the city. He said he'd 'have to cancel some very important conferences,' and going to my games in person 'just isn't worth it.'"

Callum's stomach sank as realization dawned. "That means… he won't have seen you play a single game. All year."

"Nope." Soren cleared his throat, subtly wiping at his eyes again. Callum's heart panged. "And you know, there's always some reason he can't go to them. Paperwork, conferences, something for Claudia." He stared down at his hands. "And _Claudia_ \- she tries so freaking hard to be understanding, you know?" He shook his head. "But she doesn't _get_ it. Dad always seems to make time for _her_ performances and _her_ special events." His fists clenched. "And that's great, because Claudia is amazing. She deserves the world and I'd give it to her in a heartbeat. But…"

Soren shook his head again, his voice growing more bitter and more pained at the same time. "I wish he'd at least _try_ to make it less obvious that he has a favorite. I may not be the smartest guy ever, but I'm not stupid. I'm sick and tired of being treated like I'm a _burden _to my father's picture-perfect family."

He glanced at Callum, eyes widening as if he'd forgotten he was there. "Sorry. I don't - I didn't mean to rant. I know my dad loves me in his" - his fists began to slowly unfurl - "in his own way, I guess. And it's really not a big deal. I just…" He managed a half-hearted laugh. "Get frustrated easily."

Callum hesitated, thinking over his words carefully before he spoke. "Soren… You're not a burden. Your dad's just a dick." The unusual choice of expletive coming from himself earned a snort from his friend. "And - And you say you're not the smartest, but you _are_ smart, Soren! Maybe Viren limits his definition of intelligence to only along the lines of 'book smart,' but that's ridiculously shallow and doesn't even come close to encompassing all the ways a person can be intelligent. You're smart because you're a great football player, because you always know how to make people laugh, because you come up with creative solutions to stubborn problems, and - and because you're an _amazing_ friend. I know you know that already, but…"

Callum placed a hand on Soren's shoulder. "Look. You don't need your dad's approval, Soren. For _anything_. You're already a hundred times better as a person than he could ever hope to be."

Soren laughed at his comment, though it sounded so close to a sob that Callum's chest ached. "Thanks, Callum." He wiped his eyes. "You're a good friend, too, you know."

Callum hesitated again before moving his philosophy binder off his lap. "Can I… Do you want a hug?"

Soren sniffed, and Callum had to swallow the lump forming in his own throat. "Yeah. That'd be pretty nice."

He wrapped his arms around Soren, who was still for a moment before returning the embrace. It was… maybe a little odd, yes, and maybe a little stiff, too, but amidst the cold December air… Callum knew he'd never felt anything warmer. The expression of _relief_ on Soren's face when he pulled away made Callum realize that he'd hug his friend a hundred times over if it was what he needed.

"Thanks," Soren said, clearing his throat. "For the hug. And - for listening. You didn't have to do any of that."

"You're one of my oldest and closest friends, Soren," Callum reassured him. "You can come to me for anything, and I will be there." He paused before adding, "Also… yes, it sucks that your dad can't" - _won't_ \- "go to any of your games. But… My stepdad plans to be there, and so does Aunt Amaya and I think Gren, too, and obviously me and Claudia and Ez, so…" He offered Soren as confident a smile as he could muster. "You'll still have family there supporting you. We may not all be related to you by blood, but we're your family, okay?"

He found his confidence trailing off at the end, and Soren gave him a small but grateful smile. "Thanks, Callum." He chuckled. "You know, you're pretty good at pep talks."

Callum laughed, the air beginning to lighten around them. "Yeah, I think Rayla has told me that before." He shrugged. "I mean, I can't help it that my friends are all super awesome, which makes it ridiculously easy to brag about them."

Soren snorted. "Alright. Now you're laying it on too thick."

Fair enough.

"Either one of you just said my name, or my ego is so big that I just want to assume I'm brought up in all of your conversations."

Callum blinked, turning to see that Rayla was now standing behind him. "I may have mentioned you," he admitted. "But you'll never get to learn what about."

Rayla rolled her eyes, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. "Alright, dorky prince. Keep your secrets." She then grinned at Soren. "Fancy running into you here. Have a nice chat with my boyfriend while I was off taking my final?"

Soren laughed. "Yep. He imparted far more wisdom unto me than you ever have." He smirked at her. "Not that you've set the bar very high, of course."

Rayla whistled. "Wow. I'm surprised your mind could even _handle _that much new information at once."

Sometimes Callum forgot about how almost-insulting their banter could be. But if it worked for them, who was he to question it?

Soren got to his feet, checking his phone and making sure his headphones were still connected as he did so. "As much fun as it would be to keep chatting with you," he said, still smirking, "I do need to get a move on. To be continued?"

"Obviously," Rayla said, returning his smirk with one of her own as she dropped her left hand to rest on her hip. "Football practice, Claudia's show, or senior night itself?"

"Mm… Let's save it for the big game." He grinned at her. "I want the whole team to witness me absolutely _dragging_ you."

Rayla laughed. "Alright. I can't say I mind the idea of all of our friends watching me epically roast you. Maybe it'll knock you off your pedestal once and for all."

"You wish." Soren winked at her. "Anyways, I really gotta go. See you both at practice!"

"See ya!" Rayla called at the same time as Callum simply said, "Bye!"

Soren laughed at their differing responses, waving as he jogged off.

"So what _did_ you two talk about?" Rayla asked as Callum stood up from the bench, sticking his philosophy binder into his bag.

Callum shrugged, offering her his thermos of tea. She accepted it and took a sip. "Not much. You could say we had a little heart-to-heart."

Rayla raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" She glanced at the direction Soren had jogged away in. "Well, whatever you talked about… I think it helped him."

Callum frowned in confusion as he swung his satchel over his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"That's the happiest I've seen Soren talking about _football _in… two weeks, maybe?"

Callum also found himself looking at the direction Soren had gone off in. "Oh." A small smile flitted onto his lips. "Then I'm glad I was able to cheer him up."

Rayla slipped her free hand into his. "Anyways. That's enough of my psychoanalysis." They began walking down the sidewalk together. "Was there anything you had in mind to do today, since we don't have any more exams?"

He laughed. "You mean besides studying for tomorrow?" She gave him a dubious look. "Okay, yes. I was thinking about going to the café." He glanced at his girlfriend, fighting back a grin. "And studying there."

Rayla rolled her eyes. "Of course. I should have known." She squeezed his hand. "Well, as long as we're together, I suppose I can deal with it. Even if all this studying makes me feel like my eyes will fall out."

Callum scoffed. "How morbid." Still… He couldn't keep a smile off his lips.

Things were looking up.

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**Honestly this chapter was just a love letter to Soren. Mostly because I love Soren, and he deserves all the love. Also, I should be able to get in at least one more update before I might have to take a break because of finals (ew, finals). I hope y'all have a great weekend! Thank you for reading!**


	33. new year's eve this way comes

**1\. With finals (and midterms) season approaching, I want to talk about burnout. Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Burnout occurs when a person feels overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. Signs of burnout include one's performance suffering, constantly feeling drained, feeling disconnected and cynical towards one's work, struggling to concentrate, becoming irritable and short-tempered, feeling anxious, sleeping less, changing eating habits, being physically ill, and feeling like one has to drag themself through the day. 7 of 10 Americans reported experiencing burnout in 2019. This is (unfortunately) unsurprising, as many Americans are overworked and underpaid (only 18% of Americans report feeling satisfied with their salaries; 52% of office workers report that they are stressed on a ****_day-to-day_**** basis). Some ways to heal from burnout include: setting firm boundaries (e.g. avoid taking work home when possible), using every minute of paid time off, unplugging from productivity culture, seeking support, prioritizing physical health (e.g. healthy meals and exercise), and considering a change (variety is the spice of life!). (Information condensed from soyouwanttotalkabout on Instagram and missmentelle on Tumblr.)**

**Bonjour vous-autres! Can you believe it's already been an entire week? And this chapter is a fun one! Supportive friends, blossoming romances, and longtime love abounds. I hope you enjoy!**

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_Callum: hey are you free next week?_

_Sonya: probably. since it'll be winter break. when in particular_

_Callum: any day you're available works for me. I need a shopping buddy to find an anniversary gift for Rayla_

_Sonya: sure_

_Sonya: but uh. i feel like i'm not your usual go-to person for this kind of thing_

_Callum: well, Claudia, Soren, and Felix are all going to have football on the brain bc the next game after senior night is the playoffs, even though playoffs aren't actually until like. mid-January lmao_

_Sonya: oh so they'll be useless. got it_

_Sonya: yeah i should be free. just let me know when_

_Callum: you are literally the best_

_Sonya: i'm aware :)_

_Sonya: see you at the show_

_Callum: I'd tell you to break a leg, but I feel like that doesn't really apply to tech theatre_

_Sonya: not at all. but thank you_

_Sonya: anyways i'd love to talk longer but i need to get in my Maghrib prayers now that the sun has set before they ask me to do any pre-show stuff backstage_

_Callum: you're very welcome and understood, cap'n. see you soon!_

Opening night of _Macbeth_ was set to start in one hour, but Callum knew he'd have to leave soon if he wanted to snag good seats. And by that he meant Claudia had reminded him _numerous _times to leave early if he didn't want to be stuck sitting in the back of the theater. Which, to be fair, was an accurate assessment. He definitely preferred sitting closer to the stage.

Their plan for the night was to go to the show, enjoy it, then treat Sonya and Claudia afterwards to beignets. The cast and crew party wasn't until Sunday after the final performance, so both girls were free. He was also supposed to pick up Ezran before the show to make sure his brother also got a good seat, while Harrow would drive himself to the theater later. He claimed he didn't mind sitting in the back, but Callum knew that as head of the college he was actually reserved a seat on the balcony and Harrow was just embarrassed about claiming it. Callum, personally, would not have been embarrassed - he would have snatched a seat like that, no regrets. Harrow would also take Ezran home after the show - not because Ez wasn't welcome to go with them to get beignets, of course, but he had to get up early to practice his English presentation with Ellis for their midterm.

Callum decided to scroll through his Instagram feed a final time before leaving his dorm to go pick up his brother. There were a few posts on Claudia's story from backstage, and about a million on Emilé's. Dominic and Sonya hadn't posted anything, though Dominic was frequently in the background of Emilé's stories. Sonya appeared for a split second in one of Claudia's. Ezran had - as per usual - posted a picture of Bait, this time of the lizard munching down on a miniature jelly tart. It was captioned "a healthy diet" followed by a smiling emoji with hearts floating around the face.

God, Callum loved his brother. Even if he was often concerned about Bait's health.

He noticed a photo on his timeline detailing KSU's practice schedule for the postseason once senior night passed in order to start getting the team ready for playoffs. It was pretty consistent most days, with hours selected in the afternoon to evening, though he also noticed that the team had the last week-ish of December plus a few days off at the beginning of January - presumably their equivalent of winter break.

Hmm. On the thought of break, he wondered if Claudia planned to throw her usual New Year's party. Not to be disgustingly romantic, but… it'd be great to give Rayla their anniversary gift when the clock struck midnight, like Soren had suggested. Even if it _would _earn him a century of nonstop teasing from their friends.

He refreshed his feed, and saw that Rayla had posted a brief video on her story of Soren holding Felix on his shoulders while in the locker room. He rolled his eyes at their antics but smiled. Honestly, the only thing that mattered to him was if they still managed to get to the show on time. Claudia - and probably Emilé, too, and definitely Dominic when it came to Felix - would have their heads if they didn't.

Callum refreshed his feed one more time - he was just procrastinating at this point - but upon seeing nothing new, he slipped his phone into his pocket and readied himself to pick up Ezran. And by 'readied himself' he meant he triple-checked that he had his and Ez's tickets before he drove all the way to his dad's house. Forgetting them would be… 'awful' didn't even _begin_ to cover it.

When Callum arrived, Harrow thankfully understood that he didn't have much time to stay and chat if he wanted to get to the show on time, though he did ask Callum when he planned to temporarily move back in for winter break. Callum's response was, frankly, that he had no idea. Maybe the day after next? Or the day after that? Harrow just laughed and told him anytime was fine, so long as he was given a heads-up.

During the drive to the theater, Callum and Ezran talked mostly about school. Or rather, Ezran ranted about school, and Callum listened and provided a sympathetic nod whenever he deemed one was needed.

"You're so lucky that you're off for break already," Ezran grumbled. "I have three more days of midterms left! _Three_! That's six more tests I have to pass!"

"At least they're all on half-days," Callum pointed out. "And you'll literally get out at 11:30, which is a pretty sweet schedule for midterms. Plus, all you need to do now is focus on your tests. No more juggling homework or extracurriculars with studying."

Ezran rolled his eyes. "Wow, Callum. Why do you have to be so logical? Let me complain a little!"

Callum snickered. "Right. My bad." He put on his left turn signal to move a lane over. "Feel free to continue complaining, then."

"No. It's too late. You've ruined it now." Ezran glanced down at his phone as it buzzed in his lap, dismissing a series of notifications.

"Oh, hey," Callum said as he stopped at a red light, though he grimaced when he realized there was a massive traffic jam up ahead. He'd calculated in extra time to get to the theatre, as he always did, so hopefully that would provide enough of a cushion to make sure they weren't late. "You know how I'm applying to the Xadian exchange program for next year?"

Ezran's eyes lit up. "You're actually applying? Not just thinking about it anymore?"

Oh, right. Callum never had confirmed with his brother that he'd moved past the contemplation stage. "Yep. I'm almost done with the application. All I need to do is write an essay and get one other teacher recommendation before I submit it."

"That's so awesome!" Ezran said enthusiastically. "I can't believe you get to go to Xadia!"

Callum rolled his eyes, though he was smiling. "Everyone seems _way _too sure that I'm going to be the one who gets accepted. It's not a guarantee." He glanced at his brother before the light turned green and the road demanded his focus again, though the traffic made it so he couldn't move up more than a few spaces beyond the intersection. "You know, last time we talked about this, you were _way_ more tearful about the prospect of me being away for a year. Should I be hurt by your sudden change in tune?"

Ezran laughed, swiping away several more notifications on his phone. "Nah. I talked about it with Dad. It's definitely going to be… weird not having you around all the time. And probably kind of lonely, too." He shrugged. "But going to Xadia is important to you, so you should do it and we should support you."

"Aw," Callum said with a warm smile. "Thanks, Ez. You're the best little brother anyone could have."

"Excuse you, but I'm the best _sibling _in recorded history," Ezran corrected, affronted. "Not just the best little brother. I won't stand for such slander."

Callum snorted. "My apologies. Do forgive me, Your Majesty." They both snickered at his exaggerated response before Callum remembered why he'd introduced the topic of the exchange program in the first place. "Anyways. I need your advice about my teacher recommendations."

Ezran nodded. "Sure."

"So, my Renaissance History professor wrote one of them," he explained, absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "And I need one more. But I don't know if I should ask my physics professor to write it, or if I should ask Dad."

Ezran tilted his head. "Wait, is Dad even allowed to write one?"

Callum shrugged. "As far as I know, yes. I've gone through all the fine print and appropriate channels and I can't find anything that would prohibit him from writing it. He's a professor at KSU, so." He shrugged again. "On a technical level, he qualifies."

"Hmm…" Ezran frowned, considering the question. "Well, Dad knows you better as a person, for sure."

"Correct." Upon finally reaching the second intersection, Callum turned right on red, though he made sure no one was hurtling down the road towards him before doing so.

"But your physics professor knows you better as an actual _student_," Ezran pointed out. "Also, you're majoring in physics, so surely that's like, equivalent to a double recommendation or something."

"True," Callum admitted. "Do you think that makes it worth asking him?"

Ezran bit his lip. "I think," he said after a pause, "that since the exchange program is technically academic-based, you should ask your physics teacher. You can use your personal essay to show yourself off as a person." He smirked at his older brother. "Rayla plans to help you with that, I'm guessing?"

Callum laughed. "Yeah, she is. We've started calling it 'maximizing my resources' whenever she helps me with my writing."

Ezran snickered. "Nice. But yeah - I say ask your physics professor. He'll be able to give concrete details about how you work in a classroom, and like I said, bonus points because physics is also your major."

Callum nodded, making a mental note to draft an email and send it to his professor before the end of the week. He'd only be giving the man about three weeks notice before the application was due, which wasn't the ideal 'month in advance' most professors preferred, but he also knew his physics professor would more than likely… not at all care. "I greatly appreciate your words of wisdom," he said to his brother with a small grin. "So thank you very much, Your Majesty."

"You are ever so welcome," Ezran said dramatically. "I'm always willing to share my advice with those who are less brilliant than I."

After their fits of laughter died down, the conversation shifted back to Ezran's upcoming midterms, and how prepared - or not - he felt for each one he still had to take. By the time they reached the theater, Callum was pleased to note that his brother seemed much less anxious about his exams. He knew Ezran would be fine no matter what, but he was happy to have helped him put his mind at ease.

He texted Rayla that they'd arrived, as he was fairly certain that she, Soren, and Felix had gotten there before himself and Ez because of that annoying traffic. He and Ezran handed their tickets to one of the ushers in the lobby before entering the theater, which wasn't _too_ crowded yet. Rayla was waiting for them just inside.

"I never thought I'd see the day that Callum arrived more than five minutes later than the time he scheduled," she teased with a smirk, walking over to the two of them as she tucked her phone into her back pocket. "Honestly, I was starting to get worried that you'd been kidnapped."

"It turns that not even I can control traffic," he said lightly in response, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "But no worries - we made it in one piece." He rolled his eyes. "And it's not like we're _late_ late. Just later than planned."

"Touché." Rayla slipped her hand into his. "We did save seats for you guys, if you were wondering. We managed to grab some in the third row - according to Claudia those are pretty good."

"I hope no one tall sits in front of me," Ezran said with a scowl as they began walking down the aisle towards the front of the theater. "I can't wait until I hit my growth spurt."

"If someone tall sits in front of you, I'm sure we can think of a way to… convince them to move," Rayla said with a devilish grin.

"Or," Callum said pointedly, not really wanting his girlfriend or his brother to wind up in trouble with the law, "we could politely ask them to move. Have Ez do his Bambi eyes."

"Sounds less fun, but I suppose that'll work, too," Rayla mused, and Ezran laughed.

Soren and Felix were already in their seats, talking animatedly about something. Knowing them, probably football, since senior night was the next day.

"Found the stragglers," Rayla announced as she walked into their row, taking the seat next to Felix before patting the one next to her left and gesturing for Callum to sit down. "Now the whole gang is here!"

Soren leaned forward, reaching out to hand them both programs. "Claudia texted me to say that they're probably holding house because of a traffic jam on Essen."

Well, that was the one he and Ez had been stuck in. It was slightly reassuring to know that they hadn't been the only ones. Though Callum had no idea what 'holding house' meant.

"What's 'holding house'?" Ezran asked, puzzled, unwittingly beating his brother to the punch.

"It means they'll give extra time for people to arrive and take their seats before they start the show," Felix explained.

Callum blinked, surprised. He hadn't been aware Felix knew so much about theatrical terminology.

Felix blushed at the shocked stares everyone was giving him, though Rayla's soon transformed into a knowing smirk. "What? Dominic has been doing theatre since he was six, so I've been trying to learn more about all the different terms. I want to be able to talk to him about theatre without him needing to 'translate' every ten seconds." He shrugged. "I still don't know a lot, but I'm getting there."

"That is disgustingly sweet," Rayla cooed, nudging him with her elbow as her grin only widened. "I would say something like 'who knew you were such a sap', but to be honest, we all did."

Soren laughed. "You're not one to talk, Rayla. You know, considering your boyfriend over there bought a book that was basically 'football for dummies' solely because you made it onto the team."

Callum had suspected that decision of his was going to be brought up, even if he'd kind of hoped Soren had forgotten about it. Alas. But he might as well own up to it. "I felt bad pestering Claudia with a million questions every game."

"_And_ he wanted to be able to support your interests more," Ezran didn't hesitate to add, grinning. "I saw all the sticky notes he stuck in the book. He was very dedicated to learning."

Rayla gave him a soft smile, an expression that always made his heart melt no matter how often he was on the receiving end of it. "Callum, you are the best boyfriend ever."

Callum shrugged modestly, though he could feel a blush creeping onto his face. "I try my best."

Soren's phone buzzed - Claudia had texted him again, informing him that house would be held for an extra fifteen minutes. The conversation then turned towards the show and what scenes they were all looking forward to. If Callum was honest, he still didn't know much about the plot of _Macbeth_, so he contented himself with flipping through the program while everyone else chatted. There was conveniently a summary of the show on the inside cover - apparently uninformed people like himself were expected.

Skimming through the list of cast and crew confirmed Callum's suspicions that he didn't really know anyone besides Claudia, Sonya, Dominic, and Emilé, though one or two other names seemed vaguely familiar. Maybe he had classes with those people but had never actually interacted with them?

Every now and then Callum also found himself glancing over at his brother to make sure he was doing okay. Even though everyone in the group knew Ez and no doubt considered him a friend, he imagined it still probably felt a _little_ weird for Ezran to be hanging out with people so much older than him. But Ezran seemed perfectly relaxed as he scrolled through memes on Instagram and sent them to Ellis and Aanya, reassuring Callum that his brother was doing just fine.

Soon the lights dimmed, and Callum put away his program before making sure his phone was on silent while the audience's chatter turned to hushed murmurs around him. He reached out to take Rayla's hand. Not because he thought the show would be scary, but because… well, he just liked holding her hand. When she laced her fingers through his, Callum concluded Rayla wanted to hold his hand, too.

The performance was… _amazing_. Awe-inspiring. Phenomenal. He felt like a walking thesaurus going through so many different praises, but each descriptor was completely true. Every role had been perfectly cast. Obviously his friends stood out to him as the cream of the crop, but he couldn't help but admire the talents of other actors, too. The girl who played Lady Macbeth was terrifyingly good - her descent into madness was raw and horrifying, especially the 'out damned spot' scene. Callum loved every second of it.

The special effects for the show were also fantastic. Sonya was listed in the program as head of the lighting and pyrotechnics crew, and Callum was able to tell what parts she'd had the closest hand in designing. He was pretty good at recognizing the aspects that matched up with her artistic style - 'bright' and 'dynamic' were the first words that came to mind. His favorite effect had probably been the projections from the second encounter of the witches with Macbeth - they'd looked exactly like something malicious magic would conjure up.

The witches themselves were possibly the highlight of the entire show. Well, besides Dominic as Macbeth, of course. Claudia had perfected her shrieky laughter to a _T_. He wondered how long it had taken her to master it. And if Rayla had been forced to endure her practicing it at their dorm.

When the curtain call began, Callum was not at all embarrassed to admit that he stood up to clap and cheer. Considering most the audience did the same, though, he didn't really have any reason to feel embarrassed. As the curtain slowly closed, Callum turned to face his friends.

"So, are we meeting them somewhere?" he asked.

Soren nodded. "They're going to change out of their costumes and wash off their makeup first, then head to the lobby to talk with any audience members who have questions for them," he explained. "We'll meet them there."

"I already texted Dad to let him know that's where we'll be," Ezran said, nodding to Callum. Callum gave his brother what he hoped came across as an appreciative smile.

"That was incredible!" Felix gushed as they began walking up the aisle towards the theater lobby. "I mean, I knew it would be great because of all the scenes I saw whenever I gave Dominic a ride home after practice, but _wow._ They really blew it out of the water. And Dominic!" He sighed almost… dreamily. Callum was beginning to feel like he had missed a crucial development in his friends' relationship. "He's so talented! When he started seeing Banquo's ghost, it really felt like we were watching Macbeth lose touch with reality."

"You know, I'm glad the show went so smoothly," Rayla added, falling into step with Callum as they walked hand in hand. "Claudia has been a nervous wreck all week because she's had to worry about this on top of finals - I'm just relieved for her sanity that it played out well."

"Whoa, don't jinx her," Callum said with a laugh. "She still has two shows left."

Rayla tilted her head to the side. "Fair point."

They arrived at the lobby, and Callum immediately caught sight of Harrow near the edge of the room. "Do you need to leave now," he asked Ezran, "or do you want to say hi to Claudia first? Whenever she gets out here?"

Ezran pouted. "Well, obviously I _want_ to stay, but I think Dad needs to get home soon, so…" He sighed. "I'll tell her how awesome she did another time, I guess." He said goodbye to everyone before joining Harrow, who gave Callum a grateful smile and a thumbs up before disappearing out of the building with Ezran.

"This was a really big crowd, even for opening night," Soren said with a proud grin. "Especially considering it was Shakespeare and not something modern."

"Mm, I don't like your implication that Shakespeare isn't hip and cool," Rayla mused, giving Soren a sideways glance.

Callum snorted at her comment. "Alright, alright. You're an English major. We get it."

She rolled her eyes and flicked his nose in response, though neither of them could keep teasing smiles off their lips.

"Well, I can't say whether or not you enjoyed the show. At least not based on those last few pieces of your conversation." Callum turned around to see Sonya walking towards them, her signature pink hijab temporarily replaced by a black one to match her all-black attire for working backstage. "It sounds more like a debate from my high school English classes."

Rayla laughed. "Only a little bit. But don't worry - the show was brilliant! We loved every second of it."

"Your special effects were some of my favorite parts," Callum added, beaming at her. "Honestly, you should consider getting a minor in technical theatre. You could add the credits easily, and the fact that you're pretty much the most talented lighting designer in all of KSU is a sweet bonus."

Sonya's face went red at the praise. "That's very kind of you to say, Callum, but I don't know if -"

"Ooh, kind things to say? Compliments about our show, by any chance?"

"If so, we'd love to hear them, dudes!"

Callum turned to see that Claudia and Emilé had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, now dressed in their normal clothes. And although they'd wiped most of their makeup off, he could still see remnants of smokey eye shadow lining their eyelids. To be fair, it kinda worked.

Soren immediately tackled his sister into a massive bear hug, squeezing her tightly and lifting her off her feet as he spun her around. "Clauds! You were incredible!" he shouted before he carefully placed her back on the ground. "I am _so_ proud of you!" He dramatically wiped his eyes, although Callum could have sworn he saw a genuine tear or two. "I can't believe my baby sister is going to be a famous actress one day. I'm overwhelmed."

Claudia burst out laughing at his exaggerated reaction before initiating a second hug. "Well, I'm never going to make it without the support of the most amazing older brother in the world." She released Soren to turn and face Callum and Rayla. "Is it safe for me to assume you guys loved the performance, too?"

Callum exchanged a knowing glance with Rayla, then they both moved in near-unison to pull Claudia into a group hug.

"All those hours of helping you learn your lines paid off!" Rayla said with a laugh. "You were fantastic, Claudia. You couldn't have been cast in a better role!"

"I think you may have converted me into a Shakespeare fan," Callum admitted as they broke the hug. "Which is saying a lot, because Rayla has been trying to do that the entire year."

"It's true. I have."

Claudia laughed. "Well, I am _delighted _you enjoyed the show, and I am also incredibly honored to have been the catalyst for your newfound appreciation of the Bard."

They chatted with Claudia a few moments longer before turning to congratulate Emilé for their amazing performance, too. Of the three witches, they'd captured a certain, eerie fluidity to their movements best. Emilé promptly blushed a deep pink at the praise. It wasn't long, however, before they were all interrupted by an ecstatic cry of "Dominic!" from Felix, who practically flew across the room to embrace his friend.

"So, I'm guessing you liked the show?" Dominic teased as he returned the hug.

"_Liked_ it?" Felix repeated incredulously, pulling away but dropping his hands to Dominic's waist. "It was incredible! You were so amazing! I mean, even saying I loved it barely begins to cover just how great your performance was. I…" He flushed, his gaze dropping down from Dominic's. "You're the most talented person I know. Seriously."

Dominic stared at Felix for a moment, then proceeded to cup Felix's face with both of his hands before leaning in to press a searing kiss to his lips. Felix's eyes widened in surprise, but soon he was pulling Dominic close as he responded in turn.

Callum was pretty sure his jaw hit the floor as the events unfolded, while Soren and Emilé both wolf-whistled. Sonya shook her head at their antics, but happiness was clearly sparkling in her eyes. Claudia turned to Rayla and triumphantly shouted, "Pay up!"

Rayla rolled her eyes but took out her wallet and handed Claudia a $20 bill. "Ugh. I should have known Felix would never make the first move. He's too dense."

Claudia snickered as she pocketed the money. "Keep making excuses. We all know the truth is that _I_ have a matchmaker's instinct. You do not."

"Wait, you guys knew they liked each other?" Callum exclaimed. "What? How was I _this_ out of the loop?" He knew he had a bad habit of tuning out… well, life in general, but this felt like a _lot_ to have missed, even for him.

But the more he thought back on it… Rayla _had_ been teasing Felix a lot about Dominic. And Felix had definitely picked Dominic up from rehearsal more than anyone else.

Wow. Was he really just _that_ oblivious?

"Speaking of dense," Claudia snickered, giving him an amused look.

Rayla laughed. "Ignore her. I'm not surprised you didn't know. It's not like you're around them much. I see Felix at football practice almost every day, and Claudia was with Dominic all the time at rehearsal." She smirked. "We have had _many _a chat back at her dorm trying to figure out when they'd finally get together."

Felix was blushing a deep red, a slightly dazed and certainly blissful look on his face. "Wait - was I that obvious? _And _oblivious?"

Dominic laughed, kissing the tip of his nose. "Yes, you were. But it was cute."

Rayla's words reassured Callum. Maybe there'd been a _few_ hints he'd missed out on, but it was true that he didn't interact with either of them as much as Rayla and Claudia did. No matter what, though, Felix and Dominic had an obvious connection with each other, so them getting together made perfect sense. He was very happy for the two of them.

"Does the new couple want to join us at Boudreaux's?" Soren offered. "We" - he gestured to himself, Callum, and Rayla - "were planning to take Claudia and Sonya there to celebrate a successful opening night."

Dominic glanced at Felix, who shrugged, then turned back to face the group. "Why not?"

Everyone said their goodbyes to Emilé, who regretfully couldn't join them. The group proceeded to split up and head towards their respective cars.

"I have to ask," Callum said to Rayla as he drove to Boudreaux's, "was I as oblivious as Felix before we got together?" As embarrassing as it might be to admit, he wouldn't be surprised if he had been.

Rayla laughed at his question. "Maybe not _quite_ as much. You had Claudia in your corner, or so I've heard."

Ah, yes. Felix's costume party. That memory was… rather painful, and yet he was still grateful for Claudia knocking some sense into him. "I mean, it's always great to have a Claudia in your corner."

"Very true. It helps even more to have a Claudia in your calculus class."

He laughed. "Of course. Can't forget that."

When they arrived at Boudreaux's, Soren, Claudia, and Sonya were already there. Claudia made a joke about actually arriving somewhere _before_ Callum for once, which was mostly funny because she was notoriously late everywhere she went. Felix and Dominic arrived shortly after, and they all headed inside.

"Okay," Claudia began after they'd all sat down at a table and ordered their beignets, "I know we're like, celebrating the show right now, but what are our plans for senior night tomorrow?"

Sonya snorted, taking a sip of her water. "Babysitting."

"A rain check from Sonya, then." Claudia gestured to her brother. "It's your big night, Sor-bear. Is there anything you want to do in particular?"

Soren shrugged, licking beignet sugar off his fingers. "Not really. Lucas and I talked about getting ice cream or something small."

Callum couldn't help but give his friend a dubious look. "Really? Ice cream? In the middle of December?"

Soren shrugged again. "Or anything else. I'm fine with not doing anything at all."

Callum knew Claudia would never let her brother get away with doing nothing for what she considered to be perhaps the most significant game of his college career.

Claudia sent Soren a concerned look. "Well, we can talk with Lucas later about something both of you want to do," she ended up saying. Callum wondered if Soren's lack of enthusiasm had anything to do with Viren's near-guaranteed absence.

"On the topic of football," Felix began, one of his arms resting on top of Dominic's chair, "are we all excited for the playoffs?" He seemed to recognize the need to avoid discussion of senior night.

_That_ question promptly sparked an eager discussion about football from more than half of the table. Thankfully, Soren seemed to easily fall into the new topic, as the previous disappointment that had been flickering in his eyes was gone. Dominic rolled his eyes affectionately at Felix's eagerness before getting out his phone to text someone.

Callum seized the moment to lean across the table and discreetly make plans with Sonya for gift-shopping next week, both of them putting notes in their phones about the date and time. He was careful to avoid mentioning Rayla, but his girlfriend was so enraptured by their talk about the postseason that he probably could have stood on his chair and shouted, "I'm getting an anniversary gift for Rayla!" and she still wouldn't have noticed.

But on the thought of what to get and _when _to give it to her…

"Hey, Claudia," Callum said, putting a pause on the discussion of football, "do you plan to have a New Year's party this year?"

Claudia's eyes lit up, and she wiped sugar from around her mouth before answering. "I was literally thinking about that the other day! My dad's going to be out of town, so we could have it at our actual house this year. And that would also serve as a better excuse to not invite as many people." She glanced at the group. "Present company not included in that sentiment. Obviously you're all invited."

Sonya raised an eyebrow. "Should we interpret that as confirmation you _do_ plan to have a party?"

Claudia turned to Soren. "You up for helping me put it together?"

Soren laughed. "Duh. It'll be a nice break between the end of the regular season and the playoffs."

"Then that's a yes," Claudia said with a bright grin as she returned her attention to Sonya. "We _will_ be having a New Year's party!"

Perfect. That meant Callum could take Rayla aside, kiss her at midnight, and then give her whatever anniversary gift he ended up picking out. He couldn't wait.

He really hoped Rayla would like it, too.

"I'm down," Dominic said with a small smile. "So what are the rules for parties at your house? Dos and don'ts?"

"The only alcohol allowed will be champagne," Claudia said, ticking things off on her fingers, "because we are not interested in seeing our house get destroyed. Soren and I will create the guest list, but if you want to invite someone who's not on it, let us know and I'm sure it'll be fine. You only get access to WiFi if you contribute food for the potluck. You are encouraged to bring board games. The party will technically start at 7, but as long as you get there before midnight it really doesn't matter." She paused. "I think that's it?"

Dominic nodded. "Perfect. Can't wait!"

Rayla absentmindedly stirred her straw around in her glass. "Do you have any New Year's traditions here in Katolis?" she asked curiously.

"Well, there's the big one of kissing someone at midnight," Felix began, winking at Dominic. Dominic rolled his eyes in response, though he was smiling. "Some people do fireworks. I think barbecuing could be loosely considered a tradition, too?" He grinned. "And of course everyone making New Year's resolutions that never last is also _very_ important."

Rayla nodded, smiling. "Cool. Xadia isn't too different, then."

"Do you have any traditions besides those in Xadia?" Callum asked. He would always seize the moment to learn about her home country. God, he hoped he was the one accepted into the exchange program.

"Well, we don't really do fireworks," she mused, "although I remember my parents would get me sparklers when I was little. We do have a thing in Xadia where you perform a dance with someone, usually your partner or spouse, a few minutes before midnight to greet the New Year."

"That's so cool!" Soren said eagerly. "Way more interesting than fireworks."

As the conversation shifted back to what to expect at Claudia's party, Callum found himself leaning over to rest his head on Rayla's shoulder. She slipped her hand into his.

"If you want," she murmured, an unusual softness to her voice, "I can teach you the dance. For New Year's."

Callum couldn't stop a cheesy grin from breaking out onto his face. "I'd like that." He gently squeezed her hand. "I'd like that a lot."

xXxXxXx

**I know I've been talking about this for a while, but I've decided that I will be taking at least a week off from updating because of finals. I talked about burnout in my first A/N, and I think it's better for my mental health to have a little space to focus primarily on studying. That means definitely no chapter next Saturday, December 5th. Now, there is a chance I will return for December 12th. However, December 12th is the day immediately after my last final, so I don't want to make any promises just in case I'm too mentally exhausted to post. I will definitely be back by December 19th, though! So, earliest possible return is the 12th, more likely return is the 19th. I'm gonna miss y'all's supportive comments these 2-3 weeks, but I cannot thank you guys enough for how understanding you are regarding me taking a break. Thank you so much for reading, please treat yourselves kindly as we head towards the final month of 2020, and I'll see y'all in a few weeks!**


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